Brussels, 27/03/2006 (Agence Europe) - On 27 March, the European Commission published a warning that fakes of the medicine rimonabant are currently being sold via several websites. Rimonabant was developed by Sanofi-Adventis to treat obesity and related risk factors (cardiovascular risks and/or diabetes) and giving up smoking (clinical trials have not yet been completed on smoking). The medicine is still under evaluation by the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) and the drug will only receive marketing authorisation by the European Commission once its quality, safety and efficacy have been satisfactorily established by the EMEA scientific committee, and this approval is still pending. Once approved, the company intends to market rimonabant under the name AcompliaTM. Patients who buy unlicensed and counterfeit or illicit copies of rimonabant may be putting their health at risk. This latest example underlines European Commission concern that criminals are taking advantage of the anonymity of the internet to sell fake, adulterated and unlicensed medicines to an unsuspecting public, putting lives at risk as well as undermining the pharmaceutical industry, explained a press release published on Monday. The Swedish medicines agency detected the fraud and alerted the European Commission on 6 March using the EU's RASFF early warning system. The Swedish medicines agency broadcast a television advert warning Swedish consumers of the potential dangers. Some thirteen websites sell the drug, eleven of them focussing on Swedish consumers, as food supplement for fighting flab. The 'Top Formula' sites takes all credit cards and will send the product anywhere in the EU, but the drug is still being tested.
According to a recent survey by the Member States, 170 medicines were identified to be counterfeit in the illegal distribution channels over the past 5 years. Such illegal trade often occurred through the internet. Among the cases identified, lifestyle, growth hormones for bodybuilding use and sleeping pills played a particular role. Unauthorised copies and fakes of licensed medicines for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (e.g. ViagraR, CialisR) and viral infections (e.g. TamifluR) have also been on the sales lists of criminal counterfeiters. Counterfeits may include fakes which do not contain any of the medicine or the wrong medicine. At the same time, they may damage the image of a product and companies investing in the research and application of these products, while criminals try to make money without taking any responsibilities and risks, explains the Commission.