Scientists call for global action on fake drugs

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Scientists call for global action on fake drugs

LONDON, Apr 05 (Reuters) - Scientists called on Friday for international

action to combat the growing global trade in fake drugs, particularly in

poor nations.

From bogus anti-malarial therapies to useless oral contraceptives,

vaccines made of tap water or snake anti-venom containing no active

ingredients, the world is awash with fake treatments, they said.

" The accumulated evidence, such as it is, suggests that mortality and

morbidity arising from this murderous trade are considerable, especially

in developing countries, " Newton, of the Nuffield Department of

Clinical Medicine at Oxford University, said in an editorial in the

British Medical Journal.

The extent of the problem is difficult to quantify, but he said the

World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that fake drugs accounted for

10% of all global pharmaceutical commerce.

A survey coordinated by Newton in Cambodia last year found that one

third of the anti-malarial drug artesunate bought over the counter was

fake.

Newton and colleagues in Thailand, Indonesia and the United States said

in the editorial they hoped that WHO would address the issue at a

meeting in September.

They said international technical, logistical and financial support,

through a non-governmental organization, was needed to help poor

countries protect their drug supplies.

Greater political will would also be needed to tackle the problem, the

researchers added, because the counterfeit drug trade was probably

linked to organized crime, corruption and unregulated pharmaceutical

companies.