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On Nov. 30th, 2011 the US Food and Drug Administration approved a generic version of Lipitor for manufacture by generic drug maker Ranbaxy Laboratories. While the price break will be a great relief for some, just because a drug is generic doesn’t mean consumers can purchase it from unlicensed websites.
Read MoreUnited Kingdom’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) admitted that counterfeit versions of two HIV medication have been found in the UK market. Truvada, emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, is a combination HIV therapy. Orifarm, a Danish supplier of parallel-imported and generic pharmaceuticals acknowledged that their supply of Truvada had been compromised by “the presence of counterfeits,” reported Securing…
Read More$7 million dollars worth of fake medicines have been seized by Shanghai police, as well as 96 people arrested. MSN reported that more than 70 different medicines were counterfeited in the seizure of more than 5.5 million capsules. Manufacturing of the counterfeit pills occurred in Jiangsu and Anhui provinces, reported authorities, who said that Shanghai, where the seizure occurred was…
Read MoreThe National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) has issued a report warning Americans be careful where they purchase their medications, especially those used to treat chronic diseases like high cholesterol, hypertension, cancer, HIV and bacterial infections. The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest estimates that fake medicine sales in the United States totals $75 billion every year, and has…
Read MoreAbstract Counterfeit drugs are a global problem with significant and well-documented consequences for global health and patient safety, including drug resistance and patient deaths. This multibillion-dollar industry does not respect geopolitical borders, and threatens public health in both rich and resource-poor nations alike. The epidemiology of counterfeits is also wide in breadth and scope, including thousands of counterfeit incidents per…
Read MoreScreenshots of vaccine advertisementsfrom Liang and Mackey’s research
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Some vital vaccines, listed as in short supply by the FDA, are advertised and sold online. Researchers Dr. Bryan Liang and Tim Mackey examined the online advertisers of these vaccines to see whether they were VIPPS accredited pharmacies, or if they were unreliable sources.
This is a reprint from Actavis. Actavis Elizabeth LLC is warning consumers and healthcare professionals that counterfeit Phentermine HCl Tablets (USP 37.5 mg) that contain fenfluramine, a dangerous ingredient, have been found in the United States. Phentermine is an appetite suppressant medicine that Actavis has not distributed in the U.S. since 2008 and does not intend to market Phentermine HCL…
Read MoreTwo British residents were sentenced for selling counterfeit medication, as well as Class C drugs and unlicensed medications. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) of Great Britain announced the sentencing of two counterfeit drug salesman apprehended in Britain as the result of a successful sting operation of their online medicine website. Between May 2009 and June 2010, MHRA…
Read MoreUS Congress proposed a Counterfeit Drug Penalty Enhancement Act to increase penalties for trafficking of counterfeit drugs to reflect the severity of the crime and harm to the public on November 17, 2011. The bipartisan bill was sponsored by Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, Colorado Senator Michael Bennet, Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal, Representative Patrick Meehan of Pennyslvania…
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