Archive for January 2014
Turkish Nationals Indicted in Counterfeit Cancer Drug Scam Centering on Saint Louis
Two Turkish nationals have been indicted in a counterfeit cancer drug smuggling ring that illegally imported fake cancer treatments from Turkey and other countries and sold them to doctors and clinics in the Saint Louis area. Ozkan Semizoglu and Sabahaddin Akman, both citizens of Turkey, are alleged to have imported “unapproved, misbranded, adulterated and counterfeit…
[...]Enforcement Challenges with Fake Online Pharmacies: Special Agent Dan Burke at Interchange 2013
FDA Special Agent Dan Burke was gracious enough to participate in an Interchange 2013 panel concerning fake online pharmacies. Special Agent Burke knows more about fake online pharmacies than most. His job is to investigate the highly organized illegal operations behind a typical fake online pharmacy. He is the senior operations manager in FDA’s Cybercrimes…
[...]PSM Releases Report on Black Market IUDs at U.S. Clinics
Between 2009 and 2014, 35 doctors in 7 states were prosecuted for exposing women to non-FDA approved IUDs. Doctors have been accused of purchasing IUDs from “Canadian” fake online pharmacies and importing untested IUDs from Mexico, then billing Medicare for the cost of genuine, FDA-approved IUDs. Over the same time period, authorities estimated that over 450 women were implanted with misbranded, black-market IUDs.
[...]Pharmacists in 3 States Implicated in Schemes to Illegally Import Drugs and Defraud Medicare
Learn more about black market cancer drug cases by downloading this resource. While many pharmacists act as custodians for their patients’ safety, three different pharmacists in California, New York, and Pennsylvania have either been indicted or pleaded guilty to charges ranging from prescription drug smuggling and money laundering, to heath care fraud and illegal diversion…
[...]Brownsville Resident Sentenced to Jail in Fake Stem Cell Treatment Case
Texas resident Francisco Morales, has been sentenced 60 months in federal prison plus three years of supervised release and a fine of $479,862 for his role in a conspiracy to introduce misbranded and unapproved new drugs into interstate commerce. Morales and co-defendant Lawrence Stowe, both falsely presented themselves as licensed U. S. doctors. Morales ran…
[...]Two Officers of Turkish Pharmaceutical Importer Sentenced in Counterfeit Cancer Medication Case
Two senior officers for the Turkish importer Ozay Pharmaceuticals have pleaded guilty in U.S. court and been sentenced for their role in supplying U.S. medical practices with counterfeit versions of the cancer medication Altzuan. Foreign Trade Director Ozkan Semizoglu has been sentenced to 27 months in prison, and owner and manager Sabahaddin Akman has been…
[...]Study Shows Internet Savvy Ages More Concerned with Medicine Safety
Graphic from PwC’s report, “Younger consumers are more concerned about the safety and quality of their medications” A recent survey by Pricewaterhouse Coopers found that people 18-24 had the greatest concerns when it comes to medicine safety. Greater numbers of young consumers express concern about the quality and safety of their medications than those 65…
[...]Cleveland News Station Ends Up With Fake Drugs When They Try Buying Online
A news channel conducted their own investigation into purchasing prescription drugs online. Testing of the drugs they received proved they were counterfeit, and in some cases contained dangerous banned compounds. A Colorado news station, 9 News Colorado, shared with their viewers the disturbing experience of their sister news station, WKYC in Cleveland. WKYC’s investigation in…
[...]UNODC Launches New Consumer Awareness Campaign Emphasizing the Organized Crime Element Present in Counterfeiting.
Download What Kind of Businesses Are Fake Online Pharmacies New campaign, “Counterfeit: Don’t Buy Into Organized Crime” addresses the dangers posed to consumers who purchase medicine that turns out to be counterfeit. “Counterfeit: Don’t Buy Into Organized Crime,” the new consumer awareness campaign launched today by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime…
[...]Texas Doctor Pleads Guilty to Buying Misbranded Cancer Drugs from Supplier of Fake Avastin
Download BlackMarketCancer_Long.pdf (881.4K) Dr. Eduardo Miranda, an oncologist practicing in Laredo, Texas, was accused of illegally importing non-FDA approved cancer medications from a known source of counterfeit Avastin. In December 2013, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) reported that Dr. Eduardo Miranda had pleaded guilty to charges that he imported non-FDA approved cancer medication into…
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