PhRMA and GPhA Standing United Against Counterfeit Medicines at Interchange

John Castellani, President and Chief Executive Officer, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and Ralph G. Neas, President and Chief Executive Officer, Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPhA), took the dais together at the Partnership for Safe Medicines 2012 Interchange on September 28, 2012 to discuss the risks of counterfeits to patient safety.

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Who is the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Counterfeit Cancer Drug Scare?

In February and March 2012, the Food and Drug Administration announced fake cancer drugs had infiltrated the secure US drug supply chain. The investigation into who sold these drugs to US doctors in ongoing.


Seventy-six doctors in twenty-two states
were contacted by the FDA because they may have purchased counterfeit Avastin from a “little-known drug wholesaler, Montana Healthcare Solutions,” reported the Wall Street Journal.

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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.…

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Global Sting Operation Shuts Down 18,000 Illegal Online Pharmacies, Seizes 3.75 Million Counterfeit Medicines Worth Over $10.5 Million

100 Countries Participate in Operation Pangea V’s Worldwide
Crackdown on Fake Pharmacies and Drugs

The Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM) is extremely pleased with the conclusion of Operation Pangea V, a worldwide, coordinated sting operation targeting illegal online pharmacies that has yielded spectacular results.

Coordinated by INTERPOL, Pangea V ran from September 25 through October 2 and was a global effort involving the cooperation of law enforcement, customs, health officials and the private sector.

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FDA Wants You To Be Safe When Buying Drugs Online

FDA launches BeSafeRx, a national campaign to make online pharmacy shopping safer, warning consumers that 97% of pharmacies online don’t adhere to state and federal laws.

In a report carried by the Washington Post, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg has announced a new consumer education campaign, aimed at protecting the American consumer from counterfeit drugs.

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Leading Health Care, Law Enforcement and Government Officials Join with Industry and Patient Advocates to Assess State of Counterfeit Medicines

U.S. FDA Commissioner Hamburg Urges Physicians,
Patients to Only 
Purchase Medicines from Reliable Sources to
Better Protect Against Fake Drugs

Washington, D.C. (September 28, 2012)The Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM)
today convened
leading domestic and international stakeholders in the fight
against counterfeit and substandard medicines, making a renewed commitment to
work together and implement new solutions to protect
patients worldwide. U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Margaret
Hamburg, in a keynote to the conference, highlighted new efforts her agency is
undertaking to reduce the threat and pledged the FDA’s ongoing support to
ensure a safe U.S. drug supply.

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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…

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