Chinese Court Jails Four for Fake Medicine

Chinese gang sentenced to jail for selling expired and bogus medications.

According to a story in the Shanghai Daily, four members of a group that sold expired medicine and produced fake prescription drugs without a license were given jail sentences ranging from eleven months to five and a half years yesterday.

According to the Shanghai Daily story:

• The drugs produced by the gang were tested and found to be fake. Fortunately, none of them were sold thanks to quick action by the police.

• The Putuo District People's Court heard that the gang collected expired medicine around the city at low prices and then sold them outside Shanghai, after changing the production and expiration dates on the labels.

• Zhang Dezhi, 45, from Liaoning Province, and Zhang Wenzhong, 48, from Anhui Province, who do not have licenses to sell or produce drugs, began to collect medicines around the city last year, the court heard.

• Police seized more than 3,100 boxes of medicine in Zhang Dezhi's home in Shanghai on February 3 and intercepted more than 20,000 boxes on their way to Shen-yang. They were estimated to be worth around 550,000 yuan (US$82,614).

• Police later confiscated medicine valued at 230,000 yuan from Wang's home in Shenyang, and drugs in Zhang Wenzhong's residence in Shanghai valued at more than 400,000 yuan.

• In addition to collecting and selling the drugs, Zhang Dezhi also produced fake drugs by buying in cheap and inferior medicines and attaching false labels of more expensive brands.

Hopefully this is a sign that as reported previously in Secure Pharma Chain, Chinese officials are becoming proactive and more diligent in aggressively prosecuting a lethal crime that impacts the lives of their population and that they export around the world.

China and India have become the epicenter of a global counterfeit drug issue that is worth billions annually and is estimated to kill and impact the health of millions.

To read the entire Shanghai Daily story, visit: http://english.eastday.com/e/101126/u1a5572554.html

To learn more about anti-counterfeiting solutions, visit: http://www.xstreamsystems.net/.

Officials Investigating Fake Avastin Production

Chinese health officials and police are investigating a pharmaceutical plant, Cancer Center, hospital employees and pharmaceutical dealers for the use and production of fake Avastin that harmed 61 patients last month.

Caj Wenjun in the October 23rd edition of the Shanghai Daily reports on the Chinese State Food and Drug Administration (SDFA) and the Shanghai Public Security Bureau investigating a Beijing pharmaceutical plant for allegedly producing a counterfeit version of the drug Avastin.

The fake Avastin caused eye infections in 61 patients at the Shanghai No. 1 People's Hospital last month according to officials from the Shanghai Health Bureau.

Shanghai No. 1 People’s Hospital illegally treated patients with Avastin on people with eye complaints, though its key component is believed to have a positive effect on some eye conditions, it is only officially approved for treatment of certain cancer conditions.

Roche, Avastin's producer, said the drug is only approved for colorectal cancer treatment in China. It is used in the treatment of five types of cancer in the United States, but is not permitted for use on eyes.

Avastin was not officially approved for use for colorectal cancer until October 22nd nearly a month after the incident at the hospital.

According to the Shanghai Daily story:

• Local police will also investigate the Avastin case.

• The Shanghai Ruijin-AmMed Cancer Center is under suspicion as it allegedly purchased the bogus Avastin and sold it on to hospitals.

• Several employees at the cancer center, along with some pharmaceutical dealers, have been detained. The relevant head of Shanghai No.1 People's Hospital will be charged with poor management and negligence, said health bureau officials.

• Only three patients from the case remain in the hospital. Many of those discharged have received compensation.

This incident features many culprits and plenty of criminal activity. The production of dangerous fake medications, dealing in counterfeit drugs and unofficial medical treatment to name just a few.

In this incident, each member of the supply chain perpetrated some level of criminal, fraudulent and unethical behavior with the consumers suffering serious injury.

It is critical for all members of the global pharmaceutical supply chain to protect their inventories by deploying best practices, solutions and technologies to authenticate and verify the efficacy of the products that flow through their operations.

To read the entire Shanghai Daily article, visit: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/?id=452464&type=Metro#ixzz13SEBnJZr

To learn more about pharmaceutical anti-counterfeiting technologies, visit: http://www.xstreamsystems.net/.

Chinese Hospital Pays Patients Hurt By Fake Eye Drug

The Shanghai No. 1 People's Hospital, where a fake drug caused eye infections in 61 out of 116 patients, has paid compensation to recently discharged patients.

As reported in the September 15th issue of the Shanghai Daily, a payout was made by the hospital to patients that were treated with a counterfeit of Roche's drug Avastin that developed complications due to the medication.

Tests by Shanghai officials and Roche confirmed the drug was fake.

According to the Shanghai Daily:

• The minimum paid was 2,000 yuan (US$299), although some patients discharged early this month were not compensated.

• The 61 patients were among 116 people who received the medicine at Shanghai No. 1 People's Hospital on September 6 and 8.

• After the injections, the patients reported eye inflammations and poor vision and were quickly hospitalized. Seventeen patients with severe reactions underwent surgery. The rest received injections to treat the infections.

The issue of fraudulent, adulterated, substandard and counterfeit medications continues to grow and impact the legitimate supply chains and professionally provided health care.

When health care consumers cannot reliably depend upon medication treatment made by health care professionals to be safe and efficacious the entire population suffers.

All members of the global pharmaceutical supply chain need to deploy solutions and technologies to protect their inventories and health care consumers.

To read the article, visit: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/?id=450218&type=Metro#ixzz10vZKjmk1.

To learn more about pharmaceutical anti-counterfeiting technologies, visit: http://www.xstreamsystems.net/.