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pnwmom

(108,925 posts)
Mon Jun 24, 2013, 02:11 PM Jun 2013

That SCOTUS decision disallowing lawsuits against generic manufacturers is NOT a win for consumers

even though it's being portrayed as one.

Not in view of what we know about the fraudulent practices of at least one giant producer of generics.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Investigative-Journalist-K-by-Joan-Brunwasser-130522-185.html

Investigative Journalist Katherine Eban Exposes Massive Fraud at Generic Lipitor Manufacturer

KE: The extent of the fraud astonished me. In a nutshell, the article describes how the company manipulated, and outright invented, testing data to win approval from regulators throughout the world. As a result, it ended up selling largely untested and unstable drugs in more than 40 countries.


I uncovered a presentation that was given in 2004, to a subcommittee of Ranbaxy's Board of Directors. It was the result of an internal investigation into the fraud. The presentation, before the CEO, board chairman and others, made clear that Ranbaxy had lied to regulators and falsified data worldwide. "More than 200 products in more than 40 countries" have "elements of data that were fabricated to support business needs," the PowerPoint stated. It noted that in entire markets -- including Brazil, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Egypt, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Peru, and the Dominican Republic -- the company had simply not tested the drugs and had invented all the data.


This was not simply cutting corners or engaging in lax manufacturing practices. It was outright fraud. The company knowingly sold substandard drugs around the world -- including in the U.S. -- while working to deceive regulators. It is clear that millions of people worldwide got medicine of dubious quality from Ranbaxy.

SNIP

Careful companies trust but verify, as Reagan said. They have elaborate systems for testing the active pharmaceutical ingredients they purchase. Sometimes, those systems are not good enough, as when Baxter unwittingly bought counterfeit Heparin ingredients from China, which ended up killed dozens of Americans. Personally, when I take medicine, I want to maximize the control I have. I want to see my pharmacist, know the manufacturer, and have some opportunity for legal redress should something go wrong. That can be hard to achieve, and many people have little control over the drugs they take.

SNIP

. . . But the real question for American consumers is, what are the FDA and Congress doing to ensure that generic drugs from overseas are safe? To that end, I think Americans must demand a comprehensive, unstinting look into this entire system of overseas medicine.

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