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Counterfeit products

Creations of the human mind are considered to be intellectual property. The ability of the creator to prevent someone else from using that intellectual property is defined by intellectual property rights law. Examples of intellectual property are patents, copyright and trademarks.

Healthcare products are an attractive target for counterfeiters as small volumes are valuable, and fakes are relatively cheap to make and easy to transport.

Fake pharmaceuticals may contain the wrong ingredients, have insufficient or no active ingredients, or carry incorrect patient information. They may not have been manufactured or packaged under properly controlled conditions. This means they are unlikely to be as effective as genuine products, and in the worst cases could be unsafe.

It is difficult to measure how much of the pharmaceutical market is taken by fake products. Estimates suggest that counterfeits account for more than 5% of all world trade in pharmaceuticals, and that this trade is worth billions of dollars each year.

We rigorously investigate any case of suspected counterfeiting and will take appropriate legal action against anyone involved in counterfeiting our products. We design our products and packaging to make counterfeiting difficult and to aid detection. Wholesalers are asked to report any offers to supply suspected counterfeit GSK products and to report, isolate and withhold from sale any suspect stock that is received. We pay particular attention to procedures for controlling the sale and disposal of products, manufacturing equipment, packaging and other materials to ensure that these cannot be used for the production of counterfeits.

We also work in close co-operation with pharmacists, wholesalers and other pharmaceutical companies to ensure that suspected counterfeiters and their intermediaries are thoroughly investigated and, where appropriate, prosecuted.

 

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