Protecting patents is a priority.
Patients who buy virotherapy medication abroad or online can be deceived by counterfeit scams. These fakes can endanger the health of unsuspecting users and cause life-threatening situations as counterfeiters add dangerous or even toxic substances to their products to simulate authentic properties or, more precisely, side effects of the original medication.
Counterfeiting cancer therapy medication is engaging and lucrative for criminals and organized crime due to the high profit margins and relatively mild risks of serious punishment. They are highly motivated to abuse the developed reputation of the quality products and brands of the original manufacturers.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA) describe counterfeits as drugs that have been falsely labeled to mislead the consumer, claiming invalid identity, origin, patient information and/or the dosage of active agents (if there are any at all). Also, illicit manipulations with expiration dates of the original products are regarded in the range of counterfeiting.
At times the criminal pattern advances levels where fakes are hard to distinguish from the original products. In case of any suspicion or doubt, the consumer should contact their doctor, pharmacist or the original manufacturer.
