Canadians Sentenced for Selling Counterfeit Drugs in the U.S.

February 14, 2011

U.S. Canadian Border in Blaine, WA scazon via Flickr.   Two Canadians investigated by the United States Food and Drug Administration for selling counterfeit medications were sentenced on February 14th, 2011, after plea bargaining with investigators to avoid trial. Jim and Gregory James Armstrong, father and son, admitted they were smuggling counterfeit erectile dysfunction medication…

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German Companies Develop New Technology to Prevent Fakes

February 14, 2011

German companies are responding to the risk of counterfeit medicine distribution in Europe with the development of new technologies used to authenticate German products with seals and security codes. One manufacturer, Bionorica, is using three-dimensional, optically variable embossed marks created by a Munich company which specializes in printing bank notes. In order to use these…

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Missouri Man Sentenced for Counterfeit Drug Crime

February 14, 2011

A St. Louis, Missouri resident, Mark Hughes, 47, was sentenced to four years in prison by U.S. District Court  on February 7th, 2011, four selling thousands of counterfeit erectile dysfunction pills.   Hughes ordered counterfeit versions of ED drugs online from China and India, and sold them via an illegal and unlicsensed pharmacy and by…

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American Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Misbranded Medicine

February 14, 2011

A Providence, Rhode Island resident pleaded guilty on February 8th, 2011, of smuggling erectile dysfunction drugs from the People’s Republic of China falsely labeled as herbal dietary supplements. Anny L. Puello, 32, the owner of JMM LLC, admitted importing thousands of ED drugs that were shipped from a Chinese supplier, Chengdu Kang Quan Health Product Company…

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Nigerian Drug Maker Uses Authentication Texting

February 11, 2011

A Nigerian pharmaceutical manufacturer has begun supplying the country’s chemists and clinics with life saving medicines packaged with new security codes verifiable by text messaging. The new packaging contains a code revealed by scratching off a code on the medicine package. The consumer can verify the drugs authenticity by sending a text message of the…

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North America Ranks Fourth in Worldwide Fake Drug Incidents

February 10, 2011

In North America, there were 199 reported incidents of counterfeit medicines in 2009, greater than Africa, the Near East, and Eurasia.

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Border Clash Aids Proliferation of New Malaria Strain

February 9, 2011

As the World Health Organization and its partners are spending $175 million to block the spread of artemisinin-resistant malaria along the border of Cambodia and Thailand by providing free care, free medication, and a pervasive police force hunting down fake drugs military troops from both countries are exchanging gunfire

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US Helping African Countries Improve Medicine Regulation

February 9, 2011

U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) is providing five sub-Saharan African countries with technical aid to improve the public access to high quality, affordable medicines, announced the organization on February 8th, 2011. USP has launched a pilot Technical Assistance Program (TAP) to provide developing countries with capacity building in medicine quality evaluation. Participating countries will be provided…

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New Patents in Anti-Counterfeiting Tech

February 8, 2011

Five companies have been issued patents for anti-counterfeiting technology ranging from packaging innovation to spectroscopy. Securing Pharma reports that Microsoft, AlpVision, Axsun, AuthentiForm, and CSEM have been issued patents for anti-counterfeiting medicine technologies. Microsoft has developed a method to create counterfeit resistant labels using unique images on labels that are not economically easy to duplicate,…

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Millions Recovered from Illegal Online Pharmacy Operator in Florida

February 7, 2011

An online pharmacy operator, convicted in May 2009 for distributing approximately 44 million doses of prescription medication to consumers without valid prescriptions, has forfeited $12 million in profit. Approximately $2.67 million went to the local law enforcement agencies that prosecuted him, reports the Orlando Sentinel.

Jude LaCour and his father Jeffery LaCour, ran an online pharmacy under the corporation name, “Jive Network, Inc.” which distributed controlled substances and other prescription drugs to customers throughout the United States who did not have valid prescriptions, reported Network World.

LaCour, a Daytona Beach resident, was found guilty of 52 counts of money laundering and drug-trafficking offenses involving the sale of controlled substances over the internet.

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