JORDAN SEEING INCREASE OF FAKE DRUGS IN ITS MARKETS

UNCLAS AMMAN 003291 SIPDIS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED SIPDIS STATE PASS TO USTR (JENNIFER GROVES, NED SAUMS) STATE FOR EB/TPP/IPE (BOGER),NEA/ELA (RANA) DHS PASS TO U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON ETRD KIPR KTIA PGOV JO IPR SUBJECT: JORDAN SEEING INCREASE OF FAKE DRUGS IN ITS MARKETS ¶1. (U) Summary: Jordan has seen a disconcerting increase in fake medicine in its markets in 2007. Jordan Customs has made eight significant seizures of such products this year, the largest and most recent involving $500,000 worth of fake blood pressure pills. The Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA) has found that most of the illegal products contain inactive ingredients, and counterfeiters are using sophisticated techniques for packaging that make it difficult to distinguish the fake goods from the real thing. Various Government of Jordan (GOJ) and pharmaceutical agencies are working cooperatively to combat this menace through public awareness campaigns and training, and would like to see stricter punishments for offenders. End Summary. Fake Medicine on the Rise in Jordan -------------- ¶2. (SBU) On July 25, Jordan Customs Department (JCD) seized 126,000 tablets of fake blood pressure medicine valued at $500,000, the largest Customs seizure ever of fake medicine according to JCD's Director General Mitab al-Zaben. JFDA tested the drug and found it contained no active ingredients. The Customs Director of Anti-smuggling, Lieutenant Mahmoud Al Dweiri, told Econoff July 29 that the drugs were smuggled from China through a suspect Jordanian pharmacist, who is still under investigation and has not yet been arrested in the hopes he will lead them to bigger fish. The pharmacist sold the drugs, which normally cost 30JD($42)/box, for 1.4JD($2)/box to a sub-agent, who was arrested and claimed that he was unaware that the medicine was fake. ¶3. (SBU) This seizure represents Customs' eighth case of fake medicine in 2007. A previous case involved $250,000 worth of fake drugs for schizophrenia intercepted in Aqaba; another entailed 32,000 pills for pregnant women found in a spare tire. Although Jordan seems to be seeing an increase in fake pharmaceuticals, Dweiri noted that Customs did not keep good statistics on such cases before 2007, and perhaps a heightened IPR focus could be revealing a problem that previously went undetected. ¶4. (SBU) Taher Al Shakhshir, Chief of the Pharmaceutical Association, and Dr. Laila Jarrar, JFDA's Drug Director, both confirmed separately to Econoff that fake medicine was indeed a new and "terrifying" phenomenon in Jordan. Jarrar's office is responsible for inspecting the 1,800 pharmacies and drug manufacturing companies in Jordan. Suspect drugs that have been seized are sent to JFDA for testing and destruction upon court orders. Jarrar has seen over 30 imitated brands from various countries (including U.S., European, Indian and Syrian brands of drugs) and for various ailments, with the most popular counterfeited item being Viagra. Most of the fake drugs contain inactive ingredients, according to Jarrar, although some include quantities of a particular ingredient below or above authorized percentages. Shakhsir confirmed that the majority of fake tablets come from China or India, and to a lesser extent Lebanon and Syria. ¶5. (SBU) Jarrar noted that JFDA has recently been shutting down at least one pharmacy a day, which usually remain closed for a few weeks until the court issues a decision and any penalties are paid. The problem, she argued, is that courts have been issuing under the 2001 Drug and Pharmacy Law minimal penalties averaging 100JD ($140) that do not offer any real deterrent. JFDA plans to hold a workshop in the near future for judges to educate them on the problem and urge harsher sentences. As a long-term solution, Jarrar would like to see the law changed to allow sentences equal to that for premeditated murder, a measure that Shakhsir also proposed to the Prime Ministry. Challenges: Capacity and Public Awareness -------------- ¶6. (U) One of the greatest challenges facing all the GOJ agencies responsible for IPR appears to be lack of human resources. Customs has only 120 law enforcement officials responsible for anti-smuggling countrywide, and only a handful of officials designated to the IPR unit. Dweiri noted that it would be helpful to have pharmacists on Customs teams to help identify fake pharmaceuticals. Jarrar noted that her office only has eight inspectors. As a result, interagency cooperation is critical, and according to Jarrar, JFDA has been relying on the help of Ministry of Health inspectors, Customs, and the Anti-Corruption Office of the Intelligence Department to identify and seize the fake drugs. ¶7. (U) GOJ interlocutors have also identified lack of technical information on goods, particularly medicine, as a problem. Jarrar noted that counterfeiters are using sophisticated techniques for packaging, citing one example of an imitated box containing correct braille. JFDA has been working with pharmaceutical companies to educate inspectors on ways to detect counterfeit drugs. Both Customs and JFDA were pleased to hear that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will provide regional IPR training, including a one-day segment on enforcement, in Amman in November 2007, and plan to send participants. ¶8. (U) Dweiri identified the need for more public awareness and community involvement, particularly in providing law enforcement information on potential cases of fake medicine. Shakhshir promotes radio messages several times per week, advising locals to be skeptical of any drugs offered at more than a 10 percent discount. JFDA also posts messages on its website and engages the press on any recall items, particularly those flagged by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. All interlocutors would welcome technical assistance or best practices from U.S. agencies responsible for fighting this global menace. Visit Amman's Classified Website at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman HALE