That's the finding of a study released Tuesday by brand abuse tracking firm, MarkMonitor, measuring the disturbing growth of counterfeit drug sales on the Web.
The opportunity for user-generated content around counterfeit and authentic drug receipt is not only important for affected populations, but for us, as consumers, so that we can know that drug companies are playing their part as corporate citizens.
FORBES: The Crisis of Counterfeits and Transparency in Developing World Medicine
Earlier this year Pfizer executives were alerted to a batch of fake Lipitor when five patients saw their cholesterol skyrocket and to a counterfeit of the glaucoma drug Xalatan that contained mainly the antiseptic boric acid.
Britain's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency said it found that 41 out of 167 packs of counterfeit Avastin the British drug wholesaler bought from its Danish counterpart already had been sold to the U.S. The agency quarantined the packs that remained at the British company.
In 2010 during the H1N1 flu epidemic, the FDA warned consumers about a potentially harmful counterfeit anti-flu drug that could be a killer in two respects: It lacked any of the flu-preventing medicine it purported to be while it did contain an antibiotic similar to penicillin that can be lethal to certain people.
The FDA said the fake Avastin was the first U.S. case involving a counterfeit version of a cancer drug meant to be administered in physicians' offices.
"The recent counterfeit incidents highlight vulnerabilities in the drug-supply chain and the possible health risk to patients if medical practices are choosing to buy unapproved drugs from a foreign supplier, " FDA spokeswoman Sarah Clark-Lynn said in an email.
In the U.S., for example, three times in the last year counterfeit versions of the Roche Group cancer drug Avastin have infiltrated the wholesale supply and been sold to cancer clinics and hospitals.
But as long as there is demand for cheap knockoffs--and patients are willing to chance taking them in order to save money on skyrocketing drug prices--the counterfeit problem is not likely to go away.
Kevin Abar, assistant special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New Mexico, said there's evidence that Mexican drug cartels are getting involved in the counterfeit NFL black market trade because they can make quick money.
Although ARA has certainly spent much of its time on high-profile cases referred by prosecutors, police and customs, it has also worked to tackle street-level criminals - from drug dealers and gang members to sellers of counterfeit goods and benefit cheats, in concert with local authorities.
If it cathches one with counterfeit goods it will mete out a punishment, including denial of the drug giant's products--11% of all prescription drugs sold.
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