Fake Drug Pipeline Undercuts Malaria Progress
The Wall Street Journal examines the global trade in fake, counterfeit and otherwise substandard malaria medication, in which China and particularly Guangzhou’s African community appear to play a substantial part. From Benoît Faucon, Colum Murphy and Jeanne Whalen: When customs officials in Luanda, Angola, searched a cargo container from China, they found something hidden inside a shipment of loudspeakers: 1.4 million packets of counterfeit Coartem, a malaria drug made by Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis AG. The discovery, last June, led to one of the largest seizures of phony medicines ever. The fakes—enough to treat more than half the country’s annual malaria cases, had they been genuine—are part of a proliferation of bogus malaria drugs in Africa that threatens to undermine years of progress in tackling the disease. China’s foreign ministry said the country “has always attached great importance to drug safety and resolutely combats the…manufacture and sale of counterfeit medicines.” The ministry added that it is “not aware” of evidence that any fake Coartem found in Africa came from China.
http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2013/05/fake-drug-pipeline-undercuts-malaria-progress/
Related Posts
Two Chinese men accused of smuggling 40 kg gold detained
CHENNAI: Customs officials on Tuesday said they detained for questioning two...
Vietnam police break up racket smuggling cigarettes made in foreign countries
Police in Hanoi have busted a ring that smuggled cigarettes and cigars worth...
Turkish citizen sentenced in St. Louis to 27 months in federal prison for cancer-drug fraud
ST. LOUIS — A Turkish citizen has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for...
Concerns about counterfeit products and water quality spur crucial workshop
“The fate of good food in terms of labelling now rests with you,” said Resident...