[pickledpepperRN]

Drug giants accused of ignoring fake medicines that kill millions

By Saeed Shah
Published: 13 April 2007

The world's major drug companies have been accused of turning a blind eye to the multibillion-dollar trade in fake medicine that has resulted in an explosion of child malaria deaths in developing countries.
Governments have not tackled the problem and pharmaceutical companies are burying the issue, afraid that any publicity given to their medicines being faked will lead to a fall in the sale of the genuine product, according to a documentary.

The problem has been particularly acute with the treatment of malaria in Africa, with anti-malaria drugs faked on an industrial scale. Professor Nick White, of Oxford University, one of the world's leading experts on malaria, said: "We estimate that there are more than one million deaths each year - which is the equivalent of seven jumbo jets going down every day. And 90 per cent of those deaths are in children."….

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/...cle2444464.ece

[pickledpepperRN]

Racketeers shocked by woman who fought back

By Saeed Shah

Published: 13 April 2007

Dr Dora Akunyili's determination to confront corruption means she has to travel with 10 armed guards after several attempts on her life.

She shocked Nigeria's fake drug racketeers by taking the fight to them after becoming director-general of the country's food and drug agency, Nafdac, in 2001.

Bureaucratic inertia and rampant corruption meant the drugs regulator had not been effective, and she had to sack 300 of its 3,000 staff, including her brother-in-law, to get a grip on the corruption. She has hired women because men are "more susceptible to corruption". …

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/...cle2444465.ece

[krazykev]

Read the book "Body Hunters: How the Drug Industry Tests Its Products On the World's Poorest Patients."
It will open your eyes to the drug companies drug trials.

[TrudyRN]

I have been reading Alex Haley's book, "Strong Medicine". Though pretty old, it apparently is still timely, judging by the above posts.

Should we really be surprised, though? It is just the same old story - man's greed and lust for money and power cause him to turn a deaf ear to the suffering of his fellow man. What's new?