EU must curb counterfeit drugs - industry experts

28 June 2007 10:59  [Source: ICIS news]

AMSTERDAM (ICIS news)--The EU must develop a better system to stop the flow of counterfeit drugs into the region, said representatives of two industry groups on Thursday.

 

“Around 80% of generics come in from overseas with very little, to no control,” said Brian Murphy, chairman of the European Fine Chemicals Group (EFCG) at the Chemspec Europe exhibition here. “China must put in new regulations and enforcement and Europe needs to police counterfeit products. There is nothing like the US FDA [Food and Drug Administration] looking after consumers in Europe.”

 

The recognition of a counterfeiting problem by the large Western pharmaceutical companies is a positive move, said European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC) representative Tony Scott.

 

“Before ‘big pharma’ didn’t want the world to know but now they are willing to stand up and say: ‘We have a problem. These are not handbags and sunglasses, but things that go into our bodies’,” he said

 

“There will be political action and new laws,” he added. “Watch this space.”

 

A joint EU approach to regulating imports of pharmaceuticals was needed, said Murphy.

 

“Right now, a supplier can be banned in one EU country and still ship counterfeit products to another. There is no overall policing,” he added.

 

Chemspec Europe started on Wednesday and ends today. Pharmaceutical fine chemicals were still the largest part of the show, comprising 30-40% of the exhibitors. Others were in agricultural chemicals (Syngenta), flavours and fragrances (Givaudan), cosmetics (L’Oreal) as well as specialty chemicals such as polyolefin catalysts.

 

 

ICIS Copyright © Reed Business Information 2009

Author: Joseph Chang
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