Uganda follows Kenya on fake drug law

Uganda has followed neighboring Kenya's lead in proposing new legislation to toughen restrictions on counterfeit or substandard drugs.  The move has prompted accusations from India-based generic manufacturers  of lobbying by "multinational interests," an allusion to research-based  drugmakers. DG Shah, the secretary general of the Indian Pharmaceutical  Alliance, which represents generic drug firms, told the Business  Standard: "global pharma lobby groups seem to have succeeded in  influencing developing countries like Kenya and Uganda."

In 2007-2008, Indian drugmakers exported 3.42 billion rupees ($66.1  million) of product to Kenya and 1.85 billion rupees of medicines to  Uganda. The new legislation could lead to patents from third-party  countries being enforced, including for goods in transit, the IPA  warns.