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news.The counterfeit drug trade in South-East-Asia has received a major blow with the coordinated attack of the Interpol and the Chinese authorities against two key drug dealers in China, according to PharmaTimes.com.
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The authorities have seized large numbers of counterfeit drugs, mostly fakes of the antimalarial drug artesunate. The investigation is said to have revealed that more than half of artesunate tablets in circulation in the region are bogus.
The tablets seized were reportedly disguised with authentic-looking packaging, including 16 different types of fake holograms. According to investigators, the counterfeit drugs lacked active drug and some contained potentially toxic ingredients, including banned pharmaceuticals and even the raw materials for making ecstasy. But the health authorities were reported to be more fearful of the tablets that contained sub-optimal doses of artesunate, which they believe will encourage the malaria parasite to become resistant to the drug.