News Archive

• AlpVision teams up with Nolato Medical to secure plastic packaging

  16-May-12 - A collaboration between AlpVision and Nolato Medical is attempting to thwart medicine counterfeiters by applying fingerprinting technology to moulded parts, such as vials, containers and lids, test tubes and caps.

• Applied DNA Sciences says revenues leap, launches into track-and-trace

  16-May-12 - Brand protection specialist Advanced DNA Sciences has reported a surge in revenues in the quarter ending March 31, as it unveils a move into track-and-trace with the launch of a DNA-secured QR code.

• California Board of Pharmacy weighs in on RxTEC proposal

  15-May-12 - California Board of Pharmacy calls for federal approach to medicine traceability equivalent to its ePedigree system in an open letter to Rep. Henry Waxman; also takes issue with rival RxTEC model.

• Pharmelp sampling project gets underway in Senegal

  14-May-12 - A project aimed at using a technique known as capillary electrophoresis as a low-cost tool to detect fake and substandard drugs has got underway in Senegal.

• Low-cost quality test for antimalarials developed

  14-May-12 - Researchers have developed a low-cost analytical technique for antimalarials based on fixed-dose artesunate and amodiaquine tablets, providing another weapon to fight counterfeiting of this critical medicine.

• Ghanaian study finds substandard, counterfeit pregnancy meds

  09-May-12 - A study in Ghana of the quality of uterotonic drugs used in pregnancy has found worrying variations in quality, including product with no active ingredient suspected of being counterfeit.

• UK regulator launches new counterfeit medicine strategy

  04-May-12 - The UK MHRA unveiled a new anti-counterfeiting strategy this week as it reflects on a successful five-year campaign against the trade in falsified drugs and medical devices.

• Pharmaceuticals stolen in $76m warehouse raid recovered

  04-May-12 - Enforcement officials in the USA have recovered all of the $76m-worth of medicines stolen in a raid on an Eli Lilly facility in 2010, making 11 arrests.

• EFPIA reports progress with medicine verification scheme

  03-May-12 - EFPIA has formally adopted a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on medicines verification developed jointly with EU groups representing pharmacists, wholesalers and parallel distributors.

• Sproxil turns to IBM for software upgrades

  02-May-12 - Sproxil will make use of IBM's ILOG Elixir software in the next incarnation of its Mobile Product Authentication system, which uses text-messaging to verify products carrying a unique code.

• MHRA confiscates £14.4m in assets from UK counterfeiter

  30-Apr-12 - The UK's MHRA has delivered on its objective of hitting those who deal in counterfeit medicines in the pocket, after a court ruled last week it could confiscate £14.4m ($23.4m) in assets from a convicted offender.

• Draft template for active substance importation issued by EC

  24-Apr-12 - The European Commission has published the draft template it intends to use for the written confirmation statement that will soon be required when active substances are imported into the EU.

• Kenya set to repeal controversial anti-counterfeit law

  23-Apr-12 - Kenya's High Court has ordererd a review of a controversial anti-counterfeit law enacted in 2008 on the grounds that it could interfere with the supply of legitimate generic medicines to patients.

• Indian taskforce recommends unique ID codes and SMS verification

  20-Apr-12 - A task force set up to advise the Indian government on strategies to protect the public from exposure to counterfeit medicines has recommended the adoption of unique identification codes on drug packs, coupled with authentication via a SMS.

• SecurPharm traceability pilot can use GS1 codes

  18-Apr-12 - The participants in the German medicines traceability pilot SecurPharm decided at their last meeting at the end of March that GS1-compliant codes standard can be used when the project gets underway next year.

• Pakistan quota delays 'raise risk of spurious medicines'

  18-Apr-12 - Delays in the allocation of raw material quotas by the government of Pakistani are threatening medicine shortages that in turn could lead to an increase in the circulation of counterfeit and spurious medicines in the market.

• Abbott hit by cargo thieves once again

  18-Apr-12 - Cargo thieves have targeted another shipment of Abbott Laboratories' nutritional products, making off with a full truckload (FTL) of its Ensure product from a lot near Montreal airport in Canada.

• Chinese authorities make 22 arrests in contaminated capsule case

  17-Apr-12 - China is in the throes of another healthcare scandal, with police making 22 arrests in an incident involving chromium contamination of gelatin capsules.

• Phake: shining a light on substandard and falsified medicines

  13-Apr-12 - Roger Bate's new book Phake provides a fascinating first-hand account of the counterfeit and substandard drug trade, as well as making policy analysis and recommendations that could make the supply of medicines more reliable and safe.

• EFPIA seeks vendors for EU medicine verification system

  06-Apr-12 - EFPIA has laid out its vision of how the system of safety features enshrined in the EU Falsified Medicines Directive might work in a call-for-tender document.

• Argentina extends medicine traceability initiative

  05-Apr-12 - Argentina has announced a major extension to its medicines traceability project, boosting the number of drugs covered by the initiative from 350 to around 2,300.

• FDA publishes SOP on pharma cargo thefts

  04-Apr-12 - The US Food and Drug Administration has published a standard operating procedure (SOP) for determining its response to cargo thefts, saying it is "very concerned" about the problem.

• CipherLab launches pocket 2D barcode scanner

  04-Apr-12 - CipherLab USA has launched a new handheld 2D barcode scanner to meet what it describes as "the growing adoption of 2D barcodes in pharmaceutical, hospital and retail settings."

• AlpVision adds to iPhone app capabilities

  04-Apr-12 - AlpVision's iPhone 4 authentication app for plastic-moulded materials is now compatible with its Varnish Cryptoglyph technology thanks to a new update.

• Update: Second batch of fake Avastin found in US

  04-Apr-12 - The Food and Drug Administration has issued a second alert to healthcare practitioners about a counterfeit version of Roche's Avastin (bevacizumab) which has been found circulating in the US supply chain.

• Rx-360 goes live with joint audit programme

  03-Apr-12 - Supply chain security organisation Rx-360 has said that its joint audit programme is now operational following a successful pilot phase.

• 13 arrests in Pakistan in contaminated medicines scandal

  29-Mar-12 - The authorities in Pakistan have arrested 13 people in relation to the recent tragedy involving dozens of deaths among patients treated at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology.

• Counterfeit clippings: global news round-up

  29-Mar-12 - Pfizer donates TruScan scanners; South African raid nets fake goods including medicines; Minilab donation to Tanzania; man indicted for fake drug trafficking in USA; and Nigerian enforcement actions.

• Mettler Toledo completes Pharmacontrol Electronic integration

  28-Mar-12 - The integration of Pharmacontrol Electronic (PCE) into the Mettler Toledo group following last year's acquisition has been largely completed and has resulted in "an expansion in the reach of its track-and-trace technologies in Europe, the US and Asia," according to the company.

• Pfizer and partners step up 'Real Danger' advertising campaign

  26-Mar-12 - Vans operated by wholesaler Alliance Healthcare will carry advertising warning of the dangers of buying medicines from unregulated sources, in the latest phase of a consumer education drive in the UK.

• Ivey named CEO of BrandWatch Technologies

  26-Mar-12 - Anti-counterfeit technology specialist BrandWatch Technologies has named security veteran Neil Ivey as its new chief executive.

• Pharmacists 'must get involved in counterfeit medicines fight'

  22-Mar-12 - Pharmacists must play an active role to prevent patients being exposed to counterfeit medicines, according to a report from the American Pharmacists Association (APhA).

• Six arrests in Spain and UK as counterfeit medicine ring is smashed

  19-Mar-12 - Six people suspected of involvement in a counterfeit medicines ring have been arrested in Spain and the UK, said Europol today.

• Stakeholders push lot-level traceability model at committee hearing

  13-Mar-12 - Pharma industry groups and other stakeholders in the USA are bidding for inclusion of a supply chain security model in the latest PDUFA package which stops short of a full, item-level pedigree for medicines but would allow lot-level traceability.

• Avastin case helps usher counterfeit, stolen drug bills through US Senate

  09-Mar-12 - With the fake Avastin case still making headlines around the world, bills introducing tougher penalties for those involved in counterfeiting and theft of medicines were passed by the US Senate this week.

• More details emerge on counterfeit Avastin case in US

  09-Mar-12 - Roche has made public some of the details in the recent case involving counterfeit Avastin, including the convoluted route that resulted in the cancer drug being inveigled into the US supply chain.

• India says drugs with authentication tech can have price premium

  08-Mar-12 - The government of India has amended its pricing policy for essential medicines to allow products bearing an authentication technology developed by Bilcare to carry premium pricing.

• Fake drugs worth $700,000 seized at Los Angeles airport

  08-Mar-12 - A 71-year-old man has been arrested in Los Angeles, USA, after almost 40,000 counterfeit erectile dysfunction pills worth an estimated $700,000 were discovered in his bag by customs officers.

• Brazilian pharma thieves make off with $760k shipment

  02-Mar-12 - In Brazil, a drug shipment worth around $760,000 has been stolen after the driver was overpowered by two armed men whilst visiting a rest area.

• EU trade groups take issue with eTACT in position paper

  02-Mar-12 - The eTACT medicines traceability system in development at the EDQM has come under fire from trade organisations representing Europe's drugmakers, wholesalers, parallel traders and pharmacists.

• GPHF donates five Minilabs to Zambia

  01-Mar-12 - The Global Pharma Health Fund has donated five of its Minilab portable testing kits for detecting counterfeit and substandard medicines to Zambia in order to help meet public health challenges in the country.

• Warning goes out over Romanian wholesaler

  01-Mar-12 - The authorities in Romania have issued a warning to European companies not to deal with a company called Inter Pharma Gold SRL, which has been found to operate under a forged wholesale dealer's certificate.

• Anti-counterfeit patent news in brief

  23-Feb-12 - Our round-up of anti-counterfeiting patents includes awards for Silverbrook, the University of Pittsburgh, OptoTrace, HP and SICPA.

• Argentina says first phase of traceability scheme 'going well'

  17-Feb-12 - The first stage of Argentina's national medicine traceability initiative is proceeding in a "very satisfactory manner," according to National Administration of Drugs, Food and Technology (ANMAT) director Carlos Chiale.

• Applied DNA Sciences installs first pharmacy security system

  17-Feb-12 - Applied DNA Sciences has installed its smartDNA anti-intruder mist system at a pharmacy in Long Island, USA, in response to a spate of pharmacy robberies there in recent months.

• DEA under fire in painkiller diversion case

  17-Feb-12 - The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) must provide additional evidence to a federal court or its attempt to shut down a pharmaceutical distribution centre run by Cardinal Health could be overturned.

• Roche warns counterfeit Avastin now in US market

  15-Feb-12 - Roche subsidiary Genentech has said that counterfeit copies of its big-selling cancer drug Avastin which do not contain any active ingredient have been encountered in the US market.

• NanoGuardian signs up top 10 pharma customer

  14-Feb-12 - NanoGuardian says it has signed a multi-year deal with a top 10 pharma company to help protect its products against counterfeiting and diversion.

• MHRA seeks feedback on falsified medicine directive impact

  13-Feb-12 - The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency carried out a consultation period earlier this month on the likely impact of implementing the EU's falsified medicines directive on industry.

• Excipient certification scheme officially launched

  10-Feb-12 - A four-year effort to develop a certification scheme for excipients has come to fruition, giving drugmakers a means to ensure that substances used in their drugs are made and distributed to appropriate standards.