INTERPOL and Pharma launch global initiative to combat fake medicines

Combating the global scourge of fake medicines, which threatens the health of millions of people, is the focus of a landmark agreement between INTERPOL and 29 of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies. The companies supporting the effort include drug and biotech giants Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Eisai, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly, Merck & Co, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche and Sanofi.

The three-year deal, worth 4.5 million euros ($5.8 million), will see the creation of INTERPOL’s Pharmaceutical Crime Program to further build on the work of its Medical Product Counterfeiting and Pharmaceutical Crime (MPCPC) unit. This will enhance the law enforcement community’s response to pharmaceutical crime through stronger partnership development.