AIPM CONTRIBUTES TO COUNTERACTION TO THE COUNTERFEITING OF MEDICAL PRODUCTS

MOSCOW, November 1, 2011 The Association of International Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (AIPM) actively participates in the work of “The Council of Europe Convention on Counterfeiting of Medical Products and Similar Crimes Involving Threats to Public Health (Medicrime Convention)”, High Level International Conference held in Moscow on October 26 - 28, 2011.

AIPM and member companies are unanimous in their opinion that the manufacturing and sale of counterfeited medicines is a crime. It is evident that the victims of counterfeited medicines at first instance are the patients, the health and even life of who was subjected to the risk, when they take in counterfeited pharmaceuticals. European nations and the Council of Europe has long been concerned about the absence of harmonized international legislation in the circulation of pharmaceutical medicines and medical products, and lack of the deterrent sanctions proportional to detrimental impact on people’s life and health, when they used counterfeit pharmaceuticals, as these factors have created preconditions for the development of international organized crime in this sphere. Medicrime Convention is the completion of the long-term work of the Council of Europe member countries, including the Russian Federation, for the creation of international legal instrument directed to the counteraction to the counterfeiting of medical products.

Starting from 2000 the Association of International Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and member companies take an active part in and promote the development of approaches to the exclusion of medical products counterfeiting. They created a work group in the particular direction, organized several Russian and international conferences on pharmaceutical security, carried out different types of market research, and prepared analytical reports on given subject matters, as well as undertook a range of other initiatives. Medicrime Convention prepared by the Council of Europe became the first legal agreement in criminal law field on counterfeiting of medical products. The protection of public health by means of the improvement of criminal and other legislation on the violations relating to medicinal products circulation, protection of aggrieved persons, contribution to the development of interagency and international collaboration, as well as the prevention of law violations are the main purposes of this international agreement. Alexander Bykov, Director for Work with State and Public Structures of “Novo Nordisk” company, representing AIPM at “Medicrime Convention” High Level International Conference made the report on “Contribution of AIPM into Counteraction to Counterfeiting of Medical Products and Similar Crimes involving Threats to Public Health” noting: “The pharmaceutical industry representatives concur in the opinion that the prepared Convention is not only of intra-European, but also of worldwide importance. It is the international legal instrument that for the first time in history is focused on the protection of the life and health of every human being.” The uniform standards and unified approach to quality control in different countries of the world have great significance.

For this reason, AIPM seeks to contribute to the harmonization and common understanding in this sphere with the member states of the Council of Europe, Commonwealth of Independent States, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Customs Union and Eurasian Union. Vladimir Shipkov, Executive Director of AIPM, said: “The industry representatives welcome signing the Convention and are ready to undertake all possible measures to expand such cooperation with all interested parties. AIPM intends to support and actively participate in the work of different committees and other authorities, as well as the activities in the fight against counterfeit medical products.” He further underlined that “the aim of our common strategy may only be the urge towards a zero percent of counterfeit medical products in the market.”

For additional information please contact:

Natalia Radunenko, AIPM

tel: +7 (495) 933 70 40, mobile: + 7 (903) 540 89 47

e-mail: N.Radunenko@AIPM.ORG