Industry Responds to Anti-Counterfeiting Threats

Despite the current lack of anticounterfeiting mandates throughout the globe, drug manufacturers are increasingly taking action to protect their own supply chains. Debiopharm Group, a Swiss-based global biopharmaceutical group, will be using digital technology from AlpVision for product authentication. According to a Debiopharm spokesperson quoted in AlpVision's January 2011 newsletter, "Even though Debiopharm is not aware of any existing counterfeits of its manufactured products, our group will implement such tools during 2011. This will constitute an additional measure proposed by Debiopharm in the interest of our partners and of patients' security."

In December, Debiopharm was given the "2010 Frost & Sullivan European Biopharmaceuticals Company of the Year Award." Debiopharm currently markets Eloxatin/Elplat, Decapeptyl/Trelstar/Pamorelin, and Moapar/Salvacyl.

"Counterfeiting is an unacceptable threat for healthcare. Debiopharm wants to further protect its products with appropriate systems. Drugs manufactured by Debiopharm are safe and under control, it is our aim to make our best efforts to guarantee this safety," added the Debiopharm spokesman.

AlpVision will be speaking and exhibiting at Pharmapack in Stand 234. On February 24, AlpVision president Dr. Martin Kutter will present, "Managing a Worldwide Anticounterfeiting Program Using an Internet Web Application."

Industry consensus on anticounterfeiting may not be too far away. International pharmaceutical consortium Rx-360 sent out a Flash Report to its members alerting them to an upcoming February 2011 discussion by the European Parliament on the use of 2D-Data Matrix Code for identification. EUCOPE—the European Confederation of Pharmaceutical Entrepreneurs is reporting that "the Council, the Parliament and the Commission have agreed on a compromise regarding anti-counterfeit measures on 16.12.10. The respective changes to Directive 2001/83/EC are highlighted in our EUCOPE Synopsis." For more details, visit http://www.eucope.org/en/.

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