in-Pharma Technologist: Sanofi Works to Secure Egyptian Drug Supply Chain

French drug maker Sanofi-Aventis continues to spearhead the fight for a more secure pharmaceutical supply chain by launching an anti-counterfeit medication initiative in Egypt

Wai Lang Chu on June 23rd posted a story on in-Pharma Technologist about the mega Pharma manufacturer working within Egyptian authorities on addressing and countering the growing problem of drug manufacturing infiltration and drug counterfeiting in Egypt.

The following are some of the highlights of the posting:

· The move (by Sanofi) is the first of a three-phase initiative undertaken by the drug company and the Egyptian Ministry of Health to try to address and counter the growing problem of drug manufacturing infiltration and medicine counterfeiting in the country.
· Under the new project, Sanofi have worked alongside the country’s authorities providing them with guidance and training on the latest techniques in identifying counterfeit medication.
· Staff from Sanofi led an Egyptian delegation including officials from the Ministry of Health, the Customs Authority and the Ministry of Interior's Anti-smuggling Unit from the Ministry of Finance, to its Central Anti-Counterfeit Laboratory based in Tours, France.
· The delegation also visited the Customs Authority located in Le Havre to examine its anti-smuggling measures before visiting the French Ministry of Health.
· Over the last couple of years Sanofi have been making significant ground on tackling the problem of counterfeit drugs. Its Tours laboratories, opened in 2008, are the first of its kind and illustrate the measures pharma companies have to go to in order to secure it manufacturing and worldwide production capabilities.
· For example, Sanofi’s laboratories routinely conduct direct examinations of packaging items and leaflets as well as definitive chemical tests on suspect samples of commonly counterfeited products.
· Staff at the lab have developed test methods, distributing them globally in order to allow industrial plants to inspect and test, with the same criteria, the suspect products corresponding to those manufactured by Sanofi-Aventis.
· The drug firm have also introduced centralised ‘Identity Cards’ for the counterfeit drugs found, in a single, central data base, to make it possible to compare different types of counterfeit. · Sanofi’s collaboration with Egypt is part of efforts by its Government to tackle a problem that is picked up on globally and tarnishes the county’s reputation. Data from Business Monitor International (BMI) has identified Egypt as having made significant progress in tackling the counterfeit drug problem in the last two years.

Secure Pharma Chain Blog endorses the joint effort of industry and regulatory authorities working together to solve this insidious, deadly criminal act and encourages all members of the global pharmaceutical chain to work closely with government agencies in their anti-counterfeiting efforts.

The most effective processes to interdict fraud, adulteration and counterfeit medications includes a multi-layered approach of authentication technology solutions within the supply chain from production to dispensing.

It will take all members of the pharmaceutical supply chain, working together to solve this deadly crime to the consumer. No single link in the chain can effectively or successfully eradicate bogus drugs by itself.

To read the entire in-Pharma Technologist story, visit: http://www.in-pharmatechnologist.com/Industry-Drivers/Sanofi-works-to-secure-Egyptian-drug-supply-chain/?c=qendTuKNp6H%2BO0zFmrXycw%3D%3D&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%2BDaily.

To learn more about authentication solutions, visit: http://www.xstreamsystems.net/.