Counterfeit drugs: Scientists call on Asia to cooperate more

0 Comments | AFP, February, 2008

PARIS (AFP) — Scientists lifting the veil on a sting operation that netted drugs counterfeiters in China said on Tuesday it was vital for Asia's police and pharmaceutical watchdogs to work more closely in tackling these dangerous cheats.

In a paper published in the US online journal the Public Library of Science (PLoS), the scientists describe an unprecedented undercover mission that led to the arrest of a Chinese gang peddling fake anti-malaria pills.

Bogus treatments for malaria are rampant in Southeast Asia, placing lives at risk, they warn.

These pills are unlikely to contain enough artesunate -- the active ingredient that kills resistant malaria parasites in the blood -- and may even contain toxic substances that could sicken or kill the patient....