Global Forum highlights counterfeit drugs threat

Robert Hormats, US under secretary of state for economic affairs, highlighted the threat to human health and security posed by counterfeit drugs in his keynote speech at the Global Forum on Pharmaceutical AntiCounterfeiting & Diversion in Washington DC on November 29, 2012.

He pledged to collaborate with private sector efforts that would protect the integrity of the global supply chain of pharmaceutical products delivered to patients in the US and other countries around the world.

In his keynote address, Hormats praised the outstanding efforts of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) while stressing that the global nature of the pharmaceutical trade will require expanded engagement from the department of state.

Delegates heard of America’s commitment to improving patient health and safety around the world through a growing number of programs under the banner of the state department’s safe medicines strategy.

The state department works with Usaid, the USFDA, the partnership for safe medicines and other agencies to provide worldwide support to raise awareness of the dangers of counterfeit medicines and to strengthen law enforcement to identify, arrest and prosecute counterfeiters.

Under this program, the US currently funds 24 projects, mainly in Africa and Asia. Hormats mentioned the example of a pilot project in India, where an intense awareness raising and monitoring campaign focused on just two villages is reducing the use of fake medicines in those villages, thus improving the villagers’ health.

He responded to questions from the audience by highlighting the need for converging standards, regulation, and application of technology across borders as a fundamental step toward frustrating sophisticated international criminal networks trafficking counterfeit drugs.

Hormats also praised the role of private sector technology providers as they continue to innovate and place new tools in the hands of regulatory agencies and manufacturers alike. He emphasized that by helping partner countries around the world, the US will strengthen its own safety.

The event was the seventh Global Forum, organized by UK authentication and anti-counterfeiting specialist Reconnaissance International in association with Woods International, a Washington DC based consulting firm focused on international public and private collaboration.

His presentation was one of 24 given by speakers from around the world. Papers were given by national drug regulatory agencies, from funding agencies such as the World Bank, from standards organizations including the US Pharmacopeia, from pharmaceutical companies including Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer, from patients’ representative organizations and from anti-counterfeiting service and product providers.

Ian M Lancaster of Reconnaissance International, director of the Global Forum, said: ‘It was an honor to have under secretary Hormats giving the keynote paper and to hear from him about the USA’s strong commitment to its global strategy for safe medicines. It was also interesting to hear his important points about the need for international co-operation on the development of standards for the testing and authentication of medicines.’