Thailand clamps down on counterfeit Tamiflu

Thailand has started a project to prevent counterfeit copies of Roche’s influenza treatment Tamiflu (oseltamivir) entering its borders.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is working with Thai customs to intercept shipments after seeing a hefty increase in smuggling of fake versions of the drug.

Thailand has several thousand cases of confirmed H1N1 flu, with 44 people dying from the infection, and counterfeiters are cashing in on the Thai people’s anxieties about the pandemic. The government has just implemented a programme to distribute Tamiflu to hospitals across the country.

The new FDA programme includes inspections and possible interceptions at border checkpoints, according to the Thai news agency.

Manufacturers, retailers or smugglers of these counterfeit drugs face jail terms and fines.