Tag: substandard drugs

The Danger of Substandard Drugs in Pakistan

In Pakistan, counterfeit cardiac medication dispensed by the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) led to hundreds of casualties and over a hundred deaths.  As of today, the death toll reached 121 people. An estimated 50,000 patients have been issued the medicine, threatening an exponential increase in inpatient influx for Pakistani hospitals, who have already been overwhelmed by the number of patients and families reporting ailments the past month.
According to multiple reports, the deaths were due to metallic poisoning from excessive amounts of mercury, arsenic, cadmium, or beryllium. About 10 grams of metal is harmful to the body, and although the counterfeit medicines were about 5mg, consistent, daily use for months will eventually lead to poisoning from chronic intake. The substandard drugs were manufactured from at least three pharmaceutical companies, who allegedly purchased their raw materials from unlicensed chemical sellers.

Despite efforts by the government of Punjab and urging of citizens to take greater action, the sources of the counterfeit materials purchased by the drug manufacturers could not be pinpointed.

In light of this tragedy, many have criticized PIC’s inability to control the quality of medication dispensed, but others have blamed the Punjab government for not maintaining its responsibility of checking the quality and authenticity of products and materials imported into Pakistan.

Meanwhile, the government has placed blame upon the PIC, DTL (drug testing laboratory), and provincial and district health departments for failing to properly oversee the quality of products coming into Pakistan’s provinces. In a bold move, the government suspended senior medical staff and doctors of the PIC for their alleged involvement in the scam. The suspensions were met with strikes threatened by younger doctors and medical staff who believe that the PIC should not be blamed for the shortcomings of the government (update: strike postponed).

Eight different teams are investigating incidents relating to the substandard drugs, while three pharmaceutical companies (headquartered in Karachi) linked to the deaths of at least 25 people have been closed down.

A recent development found that Mega Pharmaceuticals, one of the pharmaceutical companies allegedly involved in this scam, has also been manufacturing and packaging two different drugs under one label.

Drug Anti-Counterfeiting Technology Reaches 1 Million Uses

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact:
Jennifer Viera
pr@sproxil.com

Consumers Use Sproxil’s MPA™ Solution to Determine Drug Safety More Than 1 Million Times in Battle Against Counterfeit Drugs
– User Base Expected to Grow in Response to Nigeria’s Malaria Epidemic and India’s New Directorate General of Foreign Trade Guidelines –

Cambridge, MA, January 25, 2012 – Sproxil, a leading provider of world-class brand protection for emerging markets, announced today that consumers within regions of Africa have used its Mobile Product Authentication™(MPA) technology more than one million times to verify their medication. Leading pharmaceutical companies and regulatory organizations in these regions have been leveraging Sproxil’s MPA solution since the company launched to protect consumers from taking potentially harmful counterfeit and substandard drugs.

“Knowing that consumers have used our technology more than one million times to validate their medication demonstrates both the simplicity of our solution, as well as the immense demand for it. Consumers no longer judge the authenticity of their product by its appearance; they verify it,” states Dr. Ashifi Gogo, Chief Executive Officer of Sproxil. He adds, “With support from regulatory authorities such as the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Nigeria and the Pharmacy and Poisons Board in Kenya, Sproxil has grown significantly in a short period.”

Sproxil’s MPA solution is user friendly as is evidenced by its accelerated adoption. Upon purchasing medication, consumers scratch a label which reveals a one-time use code. They then text the code to a secure number provided on the package. As part of Sproxil’s MPA technology, the text message is processed to determine the drug’s genuineness. Within seconds, Sproxil notifies the end user, via text, of the result. Alternatively, consumers can call Sproxil’s consumer support desk to get results in their local language.

According to Director General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, NAFDAC’s use of Sproxil’s solution “puts the power of detection of counterfeits in the hands of millions of Nigerian consumers, thereby enlisting them in the war against counterfeiting.”
Demand for Sproxil’s MPA technology has grown despite the recent turmoil in Nigeria. Even in the wake of strikes in Nigeria, consumers remain concerned about receiving genuine medication and have still sent thousands of text messages to the company daily for drug verification. Not only is Sproxil’s technology being used despite this crisis, the need for it is only expected to intensify, as the presence of counterfeit and substandard drugs meant to control malaria is threatening millions of lives in Africa. Additionally, in India the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) recently issued new guidelines for importing and exporting goods. Implementing India’s new policies could be simplified by using a technology such as Sproxil’s MPA.

About Sproxil
Sproxil is a venture-backed, social enterprise that provides world-class brand protection services in emerging markets. Through the company’s Mobile Product Authentication™ (MPA) solution, brand owners can connect with their customers in a way not previously achieved, by helping to ensure the goods they purchase are not stolen or counterfeit. Sproxil’s patent-pending product verification service allows individuals to text message a single-use item-specific code found on products using MPA technology, and receive a rapid response confirming the product’s genuineness or alerting the consumer to report incidents of suspicious activity to the brand owner. Sproxil’s solution is compatible with any tangible item, and it is already widely used by leading pharmaceutical companies to curb the multi-billion dollar counterfeit drug industry. Recognized as innovative and instrumental in the battle against counterfeiting, Sproxil has won the IBM SmartCamp Boston Award and the 2009 Clinton Global Initiative Outstanding Commitment Award, as well as received regulatory endorsements from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control in Nigeria and the Pharmacy and Poisons Board in Kenya. The company is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States and continues to expand its presence in multiple countries across Asia and Africa. For more information, please visit www.sproxil.com.