Counterfeit clippings: global news round-up

SecuringPharma.com's round-up of pharmaceutical supply chain security news from the world's press features reports from India, Ghana, Uganda, China and Nigeria.

India's Central Drug Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) is travelling to China in February in order to inspect four bulk drug manufacturing units operated by Southwest Synthetic Pharma, Intec Product, Suzhoudawn Ray's Pharma and Hisoanchuannan Pharma, according to a report in the Times of India. The inspection tour was organised after "several import licences of local agents of such overseas units were cancelled due to poor drug quality and their failure to comply with good manufacturing practices (GMP)," according to the report. The Chinese authorities reportedly asked the CDSCO to carry out the inspections.

The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana has put forward plans to develop a $3m bioequivalence centre to help support the production activities of the 22 domestic drug manufacturers in the country, according to a Ghanaweb report. The unit will allow local drugmakers to demonstrate bioequivalence for their products and so meet World Health Organization requirements for pre-qualification of medicines. Increasing domestic production capacity for medicines in developing countries - and reducing reliance on imports - is recognised as a powerful weapon against the trade in counterfeit medicines.

Uganda is facing an influx of counterfeit and unregistered medicines, according to an article in the New Vision newspaper, citing officials at the country's National Drug Authority. Most of the counterfeits are badged up as originating from manufacturers in neighbouring Kenya, and include antimalarials and antibiotics, including quinine bisulphate, quinine sulphate, Metakelfin (sulphamethoxypyrazine and pyrimethamine) and Maxaquin (lomefloxacin). Three individuals were recently arrested in the capital, Kampala, in relation to the upsurge in counterfeiting cases.

The State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) in China has said it will revoke the licenses of drugmakers found to have used prohibited ingredients in medicinal products or are involved in counterfeit drug production, according to a report from the Xinhua news agency. Last month the SFDA unveiled a reform programme which aims to boost regulatory oversight of the pharmaceutical sector (see China unveils five-year drug safety plan).

The Customs Service in Nigeria arrested a smuggler last month who was trying to bring 10m naira-worth ($62,000) of counterfeit medicines into the country concealed in textile materials, according to the Nigerian Tribune. Medicines seized in the interception included 91 cartons of fake Feed Fine (cyproheptadine) tablets, an antihistamine brand sold by Indian drugmaker Unibios Laboratories, and 150 cartons of fake Ostimin vitamin tablets, purported to be made by China's Sainty Pharmaceuticals.