Counterfeiting

The Food and Drug Administration is warning doctors about another counterfeit version of the cancer drug Avastin distributed in the U.S., the third case involving the best-selling Roche drug in the past year.

The Food and Drug Administration is warning doctors about another counterfeit version of the cancer drug Avastin distributed in the U.S., the third case involving the best-selling Roche drug in the past year.

Approximately $1.26 billion worth of counterfeit goods originating overseas were seized by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in 2012. Each seizure averaged $10,450 worth of counterfeit goods. The value and the number of seizures changes dramatically each year due to the products sold and the success of CBP operations. The value of handbags and wallets seized in 2012 rose 142% compared with the previous year.

The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers that a counterfeit version of the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder drug Adderall is being sold over the Internet.

A new batch of counterfeit Avastin discovered in the United States was shipped from

By Marie Redding
Freelance Writer

It’s increasingly difficult—even for the experts—to tell the difference between a counterfeit drug and the real thing. Consumers feel they have no sure way of knowing if they’re getting duped. They may even ingest a harmful ingredient a counterfeiter has used to make a fake pill—like highway paint, floor wax, and boric acid—according to a CBS news report.

There is a growing need for creative out-of-the-box technologies that prevent a rift in patient safety while keeping a company’s investments and reputation in good standing. Counterfeiting, diversion, the resale of expired products, and complexities within the supply chain are forcing the healthcare industry to seek ahead-of-the-curve security packaging.

A cooperative agreement between the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization aims to construct a sound evidence base on counterfeit, falsified, and substandard medicines. The recent project proposal was developed by WHO in response to a call for a proposal on counterfeit medicines from FDA, but the two organizations will work closely together on the project.

Senator Michael Bennet, D-CO, has had enough of drug recalls. This week Bennet introduced Senate Bill S. 3690, the Drug Safety and Accountability Act of 2010, to increase FDA's authority over drug quality and safety.