MOU signed in Shanghai to battle fake drugs (China Daily) Updated: 2004-05-18 00:00
Local government and private industry are combining in Shanghai to take on
the producers of counterfeit drugs and better protect intellectual property
rights (IPR).
In a first for the country, the Shanghai Municipal Food and Drug
Administration (SMFDA) reached a memorandum of understanding (MOU) Monday with
US-based Pfizer Inc, the world's biggest pharmaceutical company, in a bid to
more effectively detect and deter the production of imitation drugs in Shanghai
and its surrounding areas.
"Our top task is to ensure that the public receives safe pharmaceuticals, but
the SMFDA is still technically weak in clamping down counterfeit drugs, such as
in the area of chemical analysis," said administration Director Wang Longxing.
"The partnership with Pfizer is a strategic alliance because it has abundant
international experience and advanced anti-counterfeiting techniques."
Wang said the desire to crackdown on fakes also expressed the Shanghai
municipal government's commitment to creating a better environment for foreign
investors by cutting out IPR violations.
Pfizer has found counterfeits of its drugs being sold in 57 countries and
regions.
On the Chinese mainland, Pfizer has over 40 innovative drugs -- it plans to
introduce another dozen within five years.
Its patented Viagra, which treats erectile dysfunction, is the most commonly
counterfeited in China.
In Shanghai, the SMFDA found that the active component of Viagra was
illegally added to other drugs, health products or sold through the Internet.
R. John Theriault, vice-president of global security for Pfizer, said
fighting fakes was a long-term task and an international problem. "Pfizer has
close co-operation with agencies worldwide but it's the first time that we've
co-operated with a government agency," he said.
Theriault said the most challenging factor in China was to ensure the
enforcement of anti-counterfeiting regulations from the central government
downward.
According to the MOU, the two parties will share information concerning
imitation Pfizer products in other countries and China.
Meanwhile, Pfizer will provide more technical support and help train SMFDA
investigators and executives to enhance their detection abilities.
The counterfeit drug problem is worsening around the world.
According to a report issued by the World Health Organization in November, up
to 25 per cent of medicines consumed in developing nations are estimated to be
fake or substandard.
The US Food and Drug Administration estimated that counterfeit drugs alone
comprise more than 10 per cent of the global medicine market -- generating
annual sales of more than US$32 billion.
In China, imitation drugs have also become an increasing concern for the
central government and the public.
China set up a nationwide system in August to regularly communicate with
foreign invested companies and get their suggestions on fighting against
counterfeit products and protecting IPRs.
The SMFDA's team of over 1,000 professionals monitors the safety of drugs and
food.
It has also co-operated with food and drug administrations in nearby Zhejiang
and Jiangsu provinces to set up a drug supervision network for the Yangtze River
Delta area.
