Archive for 2010
Online Pharmacies, Free Trade Zones and Counterfeit Drugs
Nearly four years ago, Americans were warned against buying prescription drugs from Web sites linked to Canada’s biggest mail-order pharmacies, Mediplan Prescription Plus Pharmacy—also known as RxNorth—after laboratory tests of intercepted shipments detected counterfeits. Among the counterfeits were widely prescribed medications for heart disease and cholesterol. At the time, Mediplan’s Founder and President Andrew Strempler…
[...]Dai XM, An N Wu JM, Li HY, Zhang QM. Development and Validation of HPLC-UV-MS method for the control of four anti-diabetic drugs in suspected counterfeit products. Yao Xue Xue Bao. 2010 Mar; 45(3):347-52.
An HPLC-UV method has been developed for the determination of valibose, miglitol, voglibose and acarbose, the four anti-diabetic drugs. The separation was accomplished successfully by using reversed phase chromatography (Prevail carbohydrate column, 250 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 microm) with a gradient acetonitrile-phosphate buffer solution (pH 8.0) at a wavelength of 210 nm. Furthermore, the…
[...]European Counterfeit Drug Market Worth more than $14 Billion
At the Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM), we've long cautioned consumers about the dangers of counterfeit drugs—a growing issue affecting all corners of the globe. Now, the Pfizer-commissioned study, "Cracking Counterfeit Europe," has estimated that the counterfeit medicines market in Europe is worth more than $14 billion. The investigation, which covered 14 European countries, comes…
[...]Partnership for Safe Medicines Applauds Google’s Updated U.S. Pharmaceutical Advertising Policy
WASHINGTON, DC – Feb. 10, 2010 – The Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM) today commended Google for its updated policy on U.S. pharmaceutical advertising through its paid search program, AdWords. Toward the end of the month, Google will refine its advertising model to accept ads only from online pharmacies in the U.S. that are accredited…
[...]$12M in Counterfeit Drugs Seized in Southeast Asia
View larger map An international police operation led to the seizure of $20M in counterfeit and illegal medicines, including antibiotics, anitimalarials, contraceptives, anti-tetanus vaccines, aspirin and drugs to treat erectile dysfunction. An estimated $12M were counterfeits with the remaining $8M found to be drugs that were “expired, diverted or unregistered.” Who: Medical Products Counterfeiting and…
[...]Twohig M, Skilton SJ, Fujimoto G, Ellor N, Plumb RS. Rapid detection and identification of counterfeit of adulterated products of synthetic phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors with an atmospheric solids analysis probe. Drug Test Anal. 2010;2(2):45-50.
The market success of the three approved synthetic phosphodiesterase type-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors for the treatment of erectile dysfunction has led to an explosion in counterfeit versions of these drugs. In parallel a large market has developed for herbal products claimed to be natural alternatives to these synthetic drugs. The herbal products are heavily advertised on…
[...]FDA Alert Regarding Counterfeit Alli
The U.S. FDA released an updated public health alert regarding counterfeit Alli being sold over the internet. According to the FDA, here’s what you need to know: Alli is an FDA-approved, over-the-counter weight loss drug. FDA lab tests have confirmed that counterfeit versions of the drug do not contain the FDA-approved active ingredient; rather, they…
[...]Jackson G, Arver S, Banks I, Stecher VJ. Counterfeit phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors pose significant safety risks. Int J Clin Pract. 2010;64(4):497-504.
Counterfeit drugs are inherently dangerous and a growing problem; counterfeiters are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Growth of the counterfeit medication market is attributable in part to phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor (PDE5i) medications for erectile dysfunction (ED). Millions of counterfeit PDE5is are seized yearly and account for the bulk of all counterfeit pharmaceutical product seizures. It has…
[...]Kubic TT.* Law Enforcement and Industry: Key Partners for Safe Medicines. J Biolaw Bus. 2010;13(1&2):38-41.
Counterfeit and diverted medicines are a key public health concern. Developing as well as developed countries are experiencing increases in patient safety risks due to these illicit drug forms. Public-private coordination between industry stakeholders and law enforcement can address the developments and trends in the counterfeit and diverted drug arena. In this piece, one such…
[...]Liang BA.* International Drug Production and Supply: Challenges for Biopreparedness. J Biolaw Bus. 2010;12(3): 31- 34.
Biopreparedness uniquely relies upon drugs. However, the globalization of drug manufacturing and supply has created challenges to ensuring open and available access to these products. The heparin case illustrates the challenges of offshore and onshore efforts to secure the drugs necessary to address naturally-occuring and human-sourced biological agents. Economic incentives, international diplomacy, and alternative sourcing…
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