Policy/Enforcement News
Counterfeit Chemo Contained Acetone – 36 Vials Still Missing
Swiss drug maker, Roche, released details of the contents of the counterfeit Avastin found in 19 U.S. cancer clinics.
[...]MHRA – FDA Cooperation Rousts Counterfeit Cancer Drugs
Cooperation between the U.K.’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency and the USFDA brought the counterfeit Avastin distribution to light in the U.S. when MHRA officials let U.S. Food and Drug Administration agents know in December that they suspected the problem.
MHRA officials notified U.S. agents and Roche, which led Roche to test and confirm the vital life-saving medication as counterfeit last week, reported Reuters.
“As tragic as this incident is, it is to the credit of the manufacturer and law enforcement that they’ve been able to track down the source of the supplier of the counterfeit medication and contact their other customers. In many countries counterfeits make their way to patients without anyone ever being held accountable,” said Partnership for Safe Medicine’s board member Tom Kubic, President and CEO of the Pharmaceutical Security Institute.
Connie Jung, of the FDA’s Office of Drug Security, said it was possible that more than the 19 originally notified practices could be involved and warned that if a price appears to be too good to be true, it probably is.
Sources say that Montana Health Care Solutions sold the vials for 25% less than the expected cost, reports ABC World News.
Patients are beginning to be aware of the counterfeits, with growing outrage.
Said cancer patient Diane Barraza to ABC World News, “To sit in the chemo chair and watch that stuff drop into my veins,” who lives in Fullerton, Calif., with her 6-year-old daughter. “It’s all I’ve got. And it might just be water?”
AstraZeneca Backs Counterfeit Drug Penalty Legislation in US Congress
On January 19, 2012, AstraZeneca sent members of Congress a letter supporting legislation to increase penalties for counterfeit prescription drug crime.
The letters were sent to Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Representative Linda Sanchez (D-CA), and Representative Patrick Meehan (R-PA), bill sponsors along with Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT.).
[...]Medicine Delivery Truck Hijacked, Meds Stolen and Meds Recovered
A medicine delivery vehicle was hijacked in the Detroit, Michigan area on December 13, by two armed hijackers. FreightWatch International reported that the van contained a tracking device and the police were notified immediately of the hijacking. When police arrived, the criminals gave up both the driver and van unharmed. In addition police recovered over…
[...]Third Bout of Counterfeit HIV Medication Found
More fake HIV medication has been found, this time in Kenya. The World Health Organization’s Prequalification of Medicines Program (PQM) first discovered fake versions of Zidolam-N, a HIV therapy, in September in Kenya, reports Securing Pharma. The counterfeit medications are of poor quality with visible molding, discoloration and friability. Kenya’s Pharmacy and Poisons Board has…
[...]Law enforcement fake pharmacy website takedown page
Have you seized a fake pharmacy website from a criminal? Turn it into a Public Service Announcement Are you a law enforcement agency taking down a fake online pharmacy website? Don’t take that website offline! It gets lots of traffic from all over the web and unwitting consumers will continue to find it for years…
[...]Counterfeit HIV Medication Discovered in UK Supply Chain
United Kingdom’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) admitted that counterfeit versions of two HIV medication have been found in the UK market. Truvada, emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, is a combination HIV therapy. Orifarm, a Danish supplier of parallel-imported and generic pharmaceuticals acknowledged that their supply of Truvada had been compromised by “the…
[...]Congress Proposes Increasing Penalties for Counterfeit Medicine Traffickers
US Congress proposed a Counterfeit Drug Penalty Enhancement Act to increase penalties for trafficking of counterfeit drugs to reflect the severity of the crime and harm to the public on November 17, 2011. The bipartisan bill was sponsored by Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, Colorado Senator Michael Bennet, Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal,…
[...]Second Multi-Million Dollar Counterfeit Drug Bust in China
Chinese authorities reported a $315 million counterfeit drug and packaging bust on Thursday November 17, 2011. 16,000 police officers apprehended 1,770 suspects and raided more than 1,400 manufacturing and sales locations, reported AFP. Authorities found banned chemicals, repackaged expired pharmaceuticals and forged qualification documents. Over 100 different formulations from both domestic and foreign pharmaceutical firms…
[...]European States Sign International Counterfeit Medicine Treaty
Russia, France, Germany and other European countries signed the first ever international treaty to combat the counterfeit medicine industry . Developed in 2010, the Council of Europe created a binding international instrument based upon the Right to Life provision in the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Signatories of the treaty agree to…
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