Counterfeit drugs - A global threat

A recent editorial on "The Lancet" called for strengthening the fight against counterfeit drugs. This call comes right after the US FDA have warned that 19 medical practices had bought counterfeit versions of the anti-cancer drug bevacizumab (Avastin) of Roche from an overseas supplier. This was not the first alarm over counterfeit drugs this year. 

Counterfeit drugs apart from causing serious adverse effects lack the efficacy that of the genuine drug. Counterfeit anti-infective drugs might also increase the risks of drug resistance. Counterfeit drugs are found across all economic situations - in developing and developed nations. The category of drugs might differ though. In 2009, there were 34 million fake tablets (including antibiotics, cancer treatments, and sildenafil citrate (Viagra)) in seized just 2 months.

The article quoted the statement from WHO, “counterfeit drugs may erode public confidence in health care systems, health care professionals, the suppliers and sellers of genuine drugs, the pharmaceutical industry and national Drug Regulatory Authorities”. 

In 2006, WHO created IMPACT (International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Taskforce) a global initiative to curb counterfeit drug malaise. But some NGOs and Indian and Brazilian Governments have opposed the work of IMPACT. The principal reason is they believe it would confuse quality and intellectual property rights issues and thus undermine access to legitimate and much lower-cost generic medicines consumed mostly in poor areas. Although enforcement of trademarks is often one way that dangerous fake medicines are stopped, overzealous interpretation of intellectual property laws can reduce access to good medicines. Kenya's Anti-Counterfeit Act, enacted in 2009, has been criticised for not clearly distinguishing the difference between generic and counterfeit drugs. The Act was challenged as a violation of the right to life by three patients with HIV/AIDS, because they were denied affordable generic medicines after the enforcement of the law.

The Lancet, Volume 379, Issue 9817, Page 685, 25 February 2012
doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60289-X

E-mail Subscription to IndiPharm Blog

We are glad to have arranged E-mail delivery of new posts.

No need of visiting this blog daily. Any new article posted to the blog will be delivered to your inbox directly.

Hoping to add more features and services. Thanks to all the readers for the feedback and support.

Keep reading !!

AstraZenca to cut 7500 jobs

AstraZeneca’s new restructuring initiatives announces recently would eliminate 7,300 jobs (2,200 in Research and Development (R&D), 1,350 in manufacturing and operations and 3,750 in sales and administration), bringing their total cuts over the past five years to nearly 30,000.

Excess capacity in certain R&D functions will be reduced, matching resources to AstraZeneca’s more focused R&D portfolio and as a results their Neuroscience-research laboratories in Sodertalje, Sweden and Montreal will be shut down. They will be replaced by a "virtual" neuroscience unit, by entering into collaborations, just like other big pharma companies, with academic institutions. These units will be made up of a small team of around 40 to 50 AstraZeneca scientists conducting discovery and development externally, through a network of some of the most innovative partners in academia and industry globally. The team will be based in major neuroscience hubs – Boston (US) and Cambridge (UK) – and work closely with innovative partners such as the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm (Sweden).

This move is expected to deliver an estimated $1.6 billion in annual benefits by the end of 2014, at an estimated total cost of $2.1 billion. AstraZeneca expects a dip in revenue with several of their drugs (including Seroquel and Nexium) loose patients in the coming years.

AstraZeneca continues to invest in R&D in the following therapy areas: cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, infection, oncology, neuroscience and respiratory & inflammation.

With a weak late stage pipeline (roughly 3-5 filings are expected in this year), AstraZeneca will try to in licence some mid/late stage asset to boost its pipeline.

Similar articles to read:
Novartis to cut 1,960 jobs in US