As the recent appearance of fake versions of cancer drugs illustrates, the increase in international production and trade of medications has come with an increase in illegitimate or poor-quality drugs reaching patients worldwide. Countering the Problem of Falsified and Substandard Drugs, a new report from the Institute of Medicine, recommends steps to improve the capacity of the United States and other nations to discover fake or subpar products and close gaps that allow products to be falsified or diluted.
The report will be released with a public briefing starting at 9:30 a.m. EST Wednesday, Feb. 13, in Room 120 of the National Academy of Sciences building, 2101 Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. Seating is limited and advance registration is required. Those who cannot attend may watch a live webcast at http://www.iom.edu/fakedrugswebcast.
Advance copies of the report will be available to reporters only starting at noon EST Tuesday, Feb. 12. The report is embargoed and not for public release before 9:30 a.m. EST Feb. 13. To obtain an embargoed copy and arrange interviews with members of the authoring committee, contact the National Academies' Office of News and Public Information. More information on the study is available at http://www.iom.edu/Activities/Global/CounterfeitDrugs.aspx.