The Great Mall of China

  • by: |
  • 12/05/2006
"Drug Pirates Leave Death in their Wake." So reads the headline from the Guardian (of London). It's the most recent report on China's role in the growing global threat of counterfeit medicines -- and it's nothing short of international health care terrorism.

Some relevant snippets:

* Last month Peter Mandelson, the EU trade commissioner, revealed that fake birth control pills and HIV retroviral drugs from China had been seized by European customs officers.

* According to Mr. Mandelson, half of all counterfeit pharmaceuticals found inthe EU originate in China.

* The article cites the CMPI report to the effect that that global sales of counterfeit drugs will reach $75bn (£38bn) in 2010 - an increase of more than 90% from 2005.

* Henk Bekedam, representative for WHO in Beijing, said, "Fake drugs are a global problem and there is no reason to believe China is an exception. Piracy is a disease ... we need to report on it, find out where it is coming from, and go and deal with it."

Here's a link to the complete article:

http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,1963095,00.html

And the closing sentence of the story is worth sharing:

"The worst consequences will be a lot more serious than erectile dysfunction."
CMPI

Center for Medicine in the Public Interest is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization promoting innovative solutions that advance medical progress, reduce health disparities, extend life and make health care more affordable, preventive and patient-centered. CMPI also provides the public, policymakers and the media a reliable source of independent scientific analysis on issues ranging from personalized medicine, food and drug safety, health care reform and comparative effectiveness.

Blog Roll

Alliance for Patient Access Alternative Health Practice
AHRP
Better Health
BigGovHealth
Biotech Blog
BrandweekNRX
CA Medicine man
Cafe Pharma
Campaign for Modern Medicines
Carlat Psychiatry Blog
Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look
Conservative's Forum
Club For Growth
CNEhealth.org
Diabetes Mine
Disruptive Women
Doctors For Patient Care
Dr. Gov
Drug Channels
DTC Perspectives
eDrugSearch
Envisioning 2.0
EyeOnFDA
FDA Law Blog
Fierce Pharma
fightingdiseases.org
Fresh Air Fund
Furious Seasons
Gooznews
Gel Health News
Hands Off My Health
Health Business Blog
Health Care BS
Health Care for All
Healthy Skepticism
Hooked: Ethics, Medicine, and Pharma
Hugh Hewitt
IgniteBlog
In the Pipeline
In Vivo
Instapundit
Internet Drug News
Jaz'd Healthcare
Jaz'd Pharmaceutical Industry
Jim Edwards' NRx
Kaus Files
KevinMD
Laffer Health Care Report
Little Green Footballs
Med Buzz
Media Research Center
Medrants
More than Medicine
National Review
Neuroethics & Law
Newsbusters
Nurses For Reform
Nurses For Reform Blog
Opinion Journal
Orange Book
PAL
Peter Rost
Pharm Aid
Pharma Blog Review
Pharma Blogsphere
Pharma Marketing Blog
Pharmablogger
Pharmacology Corner
Pharmagossip
Pharmamotion
Pharmalot
Pharmaceutical Business Review
Piper Report
Polipundit
Powerline
Prescription for a Cure
Public Plan Facts
Quackwatch
Real Clear Politics
Remedyhealthcare
Shark Report
Shearlings Got Plowed
StateHouseCall.org
Taking Back America
Terra Sigillata
The Cycle
The Catalyst
The Lonely Conservative
TortsProf
Town Hall
Washington Monthly
World of DTC Marketing
WSJ Health Blog