Latest News
20-May-2009Cambodia: Counterfeit Antimalarials Help Foster Drug Resistance
In western Cambodia, counterfeit antimalarials are helping to breed a plasmodium strain that resists even the most-effective medicine. The development threatens to roll back malaria and creates a sort of biological time bomb the World Health Organization (WHO) plans to defuse with a screening and treatment programme to contain and eliminate the multi-resistant strain in the course of this year.
12-May-2009
Influenza
EU Warning: Criminal groups may take advantage from influenza outbreak and sell counterfeit medicines via the internet.
The European Medicines Evalution Authority (EMEA) and National Competent Authorities in the Member States warn that criminal groups may take advantage of the current outbreak of the A/H1N1 influenza virus to sell fake, adulterated or unauthorised antiviral medication or vaccines via the Internet. Members of the public who buy counterfeit or illicit copies of these medicines may be putting their own health, or that of their families, at risk.
17-Feb-2009
Mekong region: educational video advert on counterfeit antimalarials
The broad distribution of counterfeit antimalarials in Mekong countries has well been identified using the GPHF-Minilab and other technologies. Later, an enforcement campaign lead by Interpol seized about 25,000 packages of fake artesunate finally traced back to clandestine operations in China (see Operation Jupiter below). An educational video advertisement produced by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Pharmacopeia Drug Quality and Information Program (USP DQI) now warns the general public in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos about the lethal outcome of counterfeit antimalarial pills.
Note that Windows Media Player or similar software will be required to access the videos.
25-Nov-2008
Operation Mamba: Authorities seized hundreds of different brands of counterfeit medicines including antimalarials in Tanzania and Uganda
17-Nov-2008
Operation Storm: Interpol seizes counterfeit medicines worth $6.65 million in South East Asia
15-Feb-2008
Operation Jupiter: Dust and pollen particles in counterfeit drugs expose offenders in China
14-Feb-2008
Toxic counterfeit cold medicine in Panama
Panamanian investigators said that 115 people were fatally poisoned by taking counterfeit cold medicine containing the toxic antifreezing agent diethylene glycol. Later in the UK, the same toxic agent emerged in tainted toothpaste from China.
03-Dec-2007
Counterfeit medicines reporting in UK
The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) reports cases of counterfeit medicines on its homepage.
03-Dec-2007
OECD warns about counterfeit medicines proliferation
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published a report documenting the global proliferation of counterfeit medicines. In one case, a counterfeit medicine travelled from China across the world and was subsequently distributed in no less than 42 different countries.
More information on the OECD report can be found here.
