Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM) Announces Groundbreaking China Initiative

Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM) Announces Groundbreaking China Initiative
Launch of PSM China Reinforces Global Fight Against Counterfeit Drugs


Beijing and Washington, D.C. (November 28, 2012) – The Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM), the leading advocacy organization dedicated to fighting the global threat posed by counterfeit drugs, today announced its latest international collaboration with the launch of PSM China. Today's launch event in Beijing was attended by stakeholders from the government, advocacy community and industry, and underscores the important role that public-private partnerships play in educating consumers and helping to keep them safe from dangerous and deadly counterfeit medicines.

"China's resolve in protecting its citizens from the dangers of counterfeit drugs has yielded great results and shows tremendous potential for the future," said Bai Huiliang, Chairman of PSM China. "With the help of our partners, PSM China will support the Chinese Government's efforts to enhance drug safety and improve public health."

"The biopharmaceutical industry applauds the PSM China initiative as an innovative solution to protect patients and improve drug safety," said Dr. John Lechleiter, chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Eli Lilly and Company. "Make no mistake: pharmaceutical counterfeiting – and drug safety in general – is not China's problem, or the task of any one country.  It is a shared global public health priority, and, therefore, a domestic concern in the United States, EU, China, and many other countries all over the world.  And one resounding lesson is that we can all benefit by working together."

Recent efforts by the Chinese government to crack down on counterfeiters have begun to bear fruit, most recently in August with the arrest of nearly 2,000 people suspected of manufacturing and selling counterfeit medicines and the seizure of nearly $182 million in fake drugs. PSM China aims to continue the strides made worldwide both in educating consumers on the scope of the problem and in stopping the flow of counterfeit medicines before they reach patients. By bringing together stakeholders from the Chinese Government, biopharmaceutical industry, and advocacy organizations, PSM China's goal is to create a nationwide network, giving urban and rural consumers the same access to vital information to protect against counterfeit drugs.

"PSM's success has come from building true public-private partnerships from the ground up, getting buy-in from stakeholders at every level and expanding our best practices to reach as many consumers as possible across the globe," said PSM President Dr. Marvin D. Shepherd. "The launch of PSM China sends a message to counterfeiters everywhere that the citizens of he world are getting wise to their scams and their safe havens are shrinking by the day."

"PSM China is the result of years of close collaboration and open discussion with public and private sector leaders across China," said PSM Executive Director Scott LaGanga. "Criminals who prey upon unsuspecting patients are able to do so largely because the public is unaware of the harm counterfeit drugs can cause. Now, Chinese consumers have a powerful new resource to help educate and protect themselves from fake drug sellers and their potentially lethal products. We commend the Chinese government and participating stakeholders in addressing this challenge head-on, and look forward to working together in the weeks and months ahead."

About PSM:
Comprised of more than 70 non-profit organizations, the Partnership for Safe Medicines is a public health group committed to the safety of prescription medicines and protecting consumers against counterfeit, substandard or otherwise unsafe medicines.  PSM can be found on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/SafeMedicines), Twitter (@safemedicines), and the web at www.safemedicines.org.

Media Contact:
Demetrios Karoutsos
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