RID Pharmaceutical Execs Charged with Manufacturing Adulterated Drugs that Killed Over 25 Children

On Monday, October 12, 2009; Mizanur Rahman and his wife Sheuly Rahman, two executives from RID Pharmaceuticals were formally charged in Dhaka court with producing toxic syrup that lead to the deaths of over 25 children.

In August 2008, the Directorate of Drug Administration filed the case against five officials of Rid Pharma for the manufacturing of substandard paracetamol syrup. In July 2008, the administration seized products and halted RID Pharmaceuticals’ production of all pharmaceuticals.

Further investigation and laboratory tests confirmed the presence of the toxic chemical diethylene glycol in spurious paracetamol syrup produced by Rid Pharmaceutical Company. Diethylene glycol, normally used in the textile and leather dying industries, was allegedly used in the preparation as a cheap but deadly substitute for propylene glycol.

Rid Pharma initially denied producing the paracetamol syrup linked to children's deaths, as reported in media. Officials of the drug company were quoted in the press as saying Rid Pharma "does not produce paracetamol syrup, but only suspension".

Bail hearing is set for Oct 19, 2009.

To view entire article view: bdnews24.com

China's Bad Medicine and Its Impact on the US

The Wall Street Journal features an informative editorial by Roger Bate in today's issue on the counterfeiting drug trade in China. Roger Bate is an expert on counterfeit drugs and is the author of the book “Making a Killing: The Deadly Implications of the Counterfeit Drug Trade.”

Mr. Bates discusses the scope of the problem in China and what the Chinese government can do to combat the issue. The black market is a huge enterprise in China employing as many as 5 million Chinese citizens in the counterfeit market. This is an alarming fact seeing as China is the fourth largest pharmaceutical exporter and supplies 40% of the global supply of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API).

The scope of Chinese counterfeiting has been felt globally as shown in these most recent incidents cited by Mr. Bates: In the United Kingdom in March of this year, Chinese counterfeit pharmaceuticals amounting to $745,000 were seized. In January of this year, two people died and nine were hospitalized due to counterfeit diabetes drugs in Xinjiang province. Last year hundreds suffered adverse reactions and at least 95 died due to a chemical ingredient that is believe to have been deliberately adulterated by Chinese suppliers.

In his paper “The Problems and Potential of China’s Pharmaceutical Industry” Bates further discusses the problem and why the world should be concerned. He states:

“With more Americans opting to procure drugs directly from overseas, often by purchasing over the Internet, understanding the causes of the counterfeit and substandard problem in China—and what can be done to combat it—has never been more important.”

To combat counterfeit drugs, he stresses the importance of collecting reliable information and coordinating consistent unbiased regulatory enforcement.

To view the editorial visit the Wall Street journal at www.wsj.com.

To view the paper "The Problems and Potential of China’s Pharmaceutical Industry” by Roger Bates and Karen Porter, visit the American Enterprise Institute for Public Research at: www.aei.org

Tainted Teething Syrup Kills 84 Babies-12 Arrested

This is an update on the tragic story about babies dying in Nigeria from the tainted teething syrup, “My Pinkin” that was originally posted in December – “Diethylene Glycol Killer On Prowl.”

My Pikin," which means "my child" in local pidgin is now responsible for 84 children aged two months to seven years died from kidney damage linked to My Pinkin -- around three out of four of the 111 children known to have ingested the product.

The actual count is presumed to be higher as many potential victims are in rural areas and have not been included in the count. "Due to the low literacy level in Nigeria and the fact that many people self-medicate and don't go to hospitals, there is the risk some children might have died in villages unreported," said National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). spokesman Abubakar Jimoh.

Twelve suspects have been arrested -- five from Barewa Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer and seven marketers of the fake chemical used for the production of the drug. Three individuals including Kola Okunola, the CEO of Barewa Pharmaceuticals were arraigned on a six-count charge relating to manufacturing adulterated drugs on March 5, 2009. The three pleaded not guilty and have been remanded at the Ikoyi prison in Lagos pending trial of the case.

So far, more than 5,000 bottles have come off the market. But it is unclear how many bottles were produced from a tainted batch or whether any were exported outside Nigeria by small-scale traders.

This is an outrageous tale of betrayal – a tale of greed with a reckless lack of regard for the safety – the safety of small innocent children who ultimately were poisoned at the unsuspecting hands of those who love them most.

XStream Systems Stories and News for the Week of October 17, 2008

Here are a few of stories that we at XStream Systems think are noteworthy as it relates to the ever growing issues of counterfeit and adulterated medications. XStream Systems thinks that its revolutionary technology that is capable of materials analysis of medications inside of sealed containers will be an important part of solving this global problem:

Study Finds Prescription Drug Packaging Varies In Quality
The quality of prescription drug packaging from leading manufacturers varies considerably, according to a study by Pharmacy Healthcare Solutions Inc. (PHSI), a finding that could affect the integrity of the medications contained in them.

Bush signs anti-counterfeiting bill
President Bush signed a bill creating an intellectual property czar to beef up U.S. enforcement of laws against pirated and counterfeited products, including pharmaceuticals.

New Zealand: Death Highlights Dangers of Ordering Drugs Online
Earlier this year, Graham David Goodwin of Blenheim died after taking drugs that included an anti-depressant he had ordered online and had mailed to him. As a result, Parliament is being urged to crack down on the illegal importation of prescription medicines.

Sex Doctor Sold Dodgy Tablets
Dr George Patino, 48, dubbed the “King of Viagra” was jailed for his part in a multi-million pound fake medicine ring. He sold thousands of counterfeit impotence tablets to customers across the world.