Articles from October 2010

EuroNews anti-counterfeiting program

On 8 November 2010, EuroNews will broadcast an 8-minute news item about counterfeit medicines and proposed anti-counterfeiting legislation. Jim Thomson (Chair, EAASM) was interviewed for the piece which will be screened for one week and available online thereafter.

9 tonnes of fake medicines seized in Africa 

Recently, nine tonnes of fake medicines were seized in East Africa.  These included the very same classes of medicine intercepted by the recent Medifake initiative, bound for the developing world and this story illustrates that there is still much to be done to protect some of the world’s most vulnerable people.

Read the full story: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/08/26/africa. counterfeit.medicine/#fbid=MrYzaJJVro4&wom=false

75% increase in counterfeit drugs imported into Switzerland

Swissmedic – the Swiss Regulatory Authority, reports a 75% increase in counterfeit drug reports in the first half of the year.  Kevin Xu, the Chinese criminal now serving time in a U.S. jail for counterfeit crimes, once boasted that Switzerland was his staging post for entry into the EU.

Read the full story: http://www.safemedicines.org/2010/08/75-increase-in-counterfeit-drugs-imported-into-switzerland-.html

Counterfeit drugs used to be a problem for poor countries. Now they threaten the rich

The Economist reports on the global trend which sees developed countries increasingly targeted by medicines counterfeiters. The story bears out figures published annually by the EU.

Read the full story: http://www.economist.com/node/16943895?story_id=16943895&fsrc=rss

News Round-Up 

A selection of other news items, ranging from East Africa to Russia and including technological responses to the issue, can be found by following the links below.

http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/news/4-national-news/3958-board-impounds-counterfeit-drugs
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2010-09-12-asia-counterfeit-drugs_N.htm