Alongside the great paradigm-shifting potential that arises from pharmaceutical innovation lurks a dangerous problem: a burgeoning counterfeit drug market. Experts estimate global sales of these fake drugs to pass $200 billion this year with rapid growth to continue if unchecked.
Whatever the industry – movies, designer clothing, makeup, electronics, jewelry – counterfeiting poses a threat to future innovations because it devalues intellectual property and destroys brand identity. But counterfeit drugs represent a much more nefarious threat – they can kill.
Criminals illegally manufacture counterfeit drugs in conditions that fall far short of approved standards. The contents are unknown and unreliable, often having very little to no active ingredients. These fake medicines frequently contain deadly contaminants, such as arsenic, lead, talcum powder, brick residue, and other dangerous trace elements.
Counterfeiters have low overhead costs and enjoy a high profit margin because they have no quality or safety standards to maintain. In other words, no regulatory body holds them accountable for the safety and efficacy of their products. Unlike with illicit drugs, the penalties associated with manufacturing and distributing counterfeit pharmaceuticals are minimal.
According to Roger Bate of the American Enterprise Institute, over 100,000 people die annually from the use of fake pharmaceuticals. This is a conservative estimate with the actual number of deaths likely far higher. We must fight counterfeit drugs not only to protect intellectual property and the integrity of years of research and development, but also (and primarily) to safeguard people’s health and safety.
Direct On-Cell Labeling FSLs from Emergent Technologies, Inc. on Vimeo.
Anti-Counterfeiting Solutions on the Horizon
Emergent is currently working with KODETM Biotech to develop strong anti-counterfeiting solutions for the pharmaceutical global supply chain. Researchers at KODETM have come up with an interesting surface modification technology that can put an encrypted stamp, or brand mark, on virtually any surface.
KODETM’s identification technology system consists of three components that can be used standalone or in multiple combinations depending on the level of complexity that is desired in the authentication marks. The first component, the proprietary FSL molecule, facilitates the attachment of specialized reporter molecules, which can be authenticated by various methods at different points along the supply chain. A second component, called SnowflakesTM, are binary or numerically coded, optically read discs — laser cut from an inert Kapton polymer – that are placed in strategic locations on the packaging. ADAMTM encryption makes up the third component of this groundbreaking anti-counterfeiting technology. The encryption uses a complex algorithm, resulting in a unique multi-layered identification mark that is exceedingly difficult, if not virtually impossible, to counterfeit.
Manufacturers can apply a KODE anti-counterfeiting stamp to a wide range of surfaces from biologics (like embryos) and pharmaceutical medications (like Viagra) to non-living surfaces (like bottle, vials, and packaging). Even museums and fine art curators can use this technology to protect their priceless collections from theft and counterfeiting.
This technology has the potential to thwart counterfeiting on a global scale, making medicines difficult to copy and easy to track. Emergent and KODETM are working together to ensure that people around the world can continue to reap the benefits of pharmaceutical innovations and trust that the medicines they take are safe and effective. Human lives are at stake; we’re stepping up to stop the threat. What do you want to build today?