Keynote Speaker Announced for Counterfeit Drug Conference

The Partnership for Safe Medicines is pleased to announce Deputy Director Ilisa Bernstein as the keynote speaker of the 2013 Interchange on October 24, in Washington, DC. Dr. Ilisa Bernstein is the Deputy Director of Office of Compliance in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). She…

[...]

PSM2012: Startling and Compelling Speakers Focused on Patient Safety and Criminal Acts

The Partnership for Safe Medicines’ 2012 Interchange on September 28th, 2012 at the National Press Club brought together researchers, patient advocates, law enforcement and industry to discuss the damage counterfeit medications and fake online pharmacies cause to Americans. “This year’s Interchange was our boldest, most ambitious effort to date,” said PSM President Dr. Marvin D.…

[...]

PSM2012: FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg’s Keynote Speech

Dr. Margaret Hamburg, FDA Commissioner, addressed the Interchange in her keynote speech. Hamburg said that "We need to work together to stay ahead of the many avenues that criminals are finding that are putting the health and safety of American citizen's at risk." Calling them 21st Century snake oil peddlers, Hamburg said that FDA has…

[...]

PSM2012: The UK (MHRA) approach to combating Falsified Medicines

Gerald W. Heddell, Director of Inspection, Enforcement & Standards Division at the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in the UK, was introduced by Brian Finlay, Senior Associate and Director of Managing Accross Boundaries at The Stimson Center. Heddell began his talk with a map of recent counterfeit incidents worldwide.  And then said, "Since I made this…

[...]

PSM2012:Linda Marks, Senior Litigation Counsel, Consumer Protection Branch

After Nancy Kennedy, Linda Marks, Senior Litigation Counsel of the Consumer Protection Branch of the U.S. Department of Justice spoke. She also emphasized the international scale of the counterfeit drug problem.  Online reselling of unapproved, illegal and dangerous medications can have too much, too little, no, or the wrong active ingredient. General intellectual property crimes…

[...]

PSM2012: Special Agent Nancy Kennedy Talks On International Counterfeit Drug Crime

Moderator Brian Finlay introduced speakers for the Drawing Outside Domestic Lines, International Cooperation panel. "Counterfeit medicine is an international human security and serious compelling public health issue." Speaker Special Agent Nancy Kennedy with FDA-OCI handles drug investigations, included counterfeit medicines. Kennedy began by discussing international cooperation between MHRA, two southern European countries and the U.S.…

[...]

PSM2012 – PhRMA and GPhA Heads Discuss Counterfeit Medicine

Partnership for Safe Medicines’ Executive Director Scott LaGanga introduced John Castellani, President and CEO of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.  PhRMA leads more than 600,000 of America’s leading biopharmaceutical professionals who develop new medicines to help people live longer, healthier lives. He also introduced Ralph Neas, the President and CEO of the Generic Pharmaceutical…

[...]

PSM2012 – John Roth, Director of the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations

John Roth, Director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Office of Criminal Investigations was the luncheon speaker at the Interchange, introduced by Partnership for Safe Medicine's Executive Director Scott LaGanga. Roth spoke on the FDA’s criminal priority areas, its recent experience (and challenges) with combatting counterfeiters, and more broadly about how criminal enforcement fits in with…

[...]

PSM2012 – Payment Processing and Unlicensed Online Pharmacies

Moderator Linda Johnson, Pharmaceuticals and Health Business writer for The Associated Press, introduced Damon McCoy, researcher from George Mason University.   Said Johnson, "Through my work I’ve learned about the many implications that counterfeit drugs can have on the consumer.  So many people rely on and trust the drug supply chain for safe and effective…

[...]