“The US based Centre for Medicines in the Public Interest predicts that counterfeit drug sales will reach US$ 75 billion globally in 2010, an increase of more than 90% from 2005.” –WHO

Counterfeit pharmaceuticals are an increasing public health threat and everyone from the pharmaceutical producers, throughout the supply chain, down to the consumers, will benefit from a coordinated fight against the fakes. To keep the public safe, new legislation and regulations are imposed, new technology is developed and the forms for importing and selling pharmaceuticals are widely debated. With this variety of technologies to choose from, and so many different legislative changes to obey by, an interchange of ideas and experiences is vital to every one involved, in the process of getting safe medicines from the manufacturer to the patients. Further, the understanding of the complexity of widely debated subjects such as, parallel trade and internet pharmacies is central to the process of protecting the public.

In the interest of creating an arena for involved companies and organizations,  3rd Annual Anti Counterfeiting Strategies conference will focus on:

• The legislative development in Europe and the US

• Technical solutions such as RFID and barcode technology

• International collaboration to combat counterfeiting

• The role of parallel trade and internet pharmacies

• I look forward to seeing you at the conference

VPs Directors, Heads, and Managers from:

• Pharmaceutical manufacturing and distributing companies

• Wholesalers

• Pharmaceutical packaging and labeling companies

• Anti-counterfeiting technology suppliers

• Anti-counterfeiting service suppliers

• Public health and regulatory bodies

• Anti-counterfeiting organizations

• Non-governmental healthcare organizations

• Pharmaceutical organizations

Day 1, Tuesday 1st July 2008

09:30 Registration and refreshments

10:00 Opening address from the chair

Eric Noehrenberg

Director, International Trade & Market Policy

International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations

10:10  A global strategy to fight counterfeiting

• A safe and secure supply chain

• Authentication and traceability

• Activities of regulatory bodies and industry worldwide

• Global standards – how do they help fighting counterfeiting?

Janice Kite

Project Manager Traceability in Healthcare

GS1

10:50 Combating counterfeits of medicinal products

• The size of the problem

• The technological approach

• The logistical approach

• Global asset tracing: identification of conduct & property

Tassilo Korab

Executive Director

Health Compliance Packaging Council

11:30 Morning refreshments

11:50 The costs of counterfeit drugs

• The burden on the health care system

• Financial damage due to loss of sales and a reduced return on R&D investments

• The cost of a damaged brand

Paul Forster-Jones

Managing Director, Cordia Healthcare

Board Member, UniChem

12:30 Technological and non-technological measures - How can we protect patients?

• Product coding and identifications as pre-requisite for tracking and tracing

• Bar codes versus RFID

• EU versus US: are the approaches different?

• Stake holder and government initiatives

Monika Dereque-Pois

Secretary General

GIRP

13:10  Networking lunch

14:30 The changes in European policy

• Protecting IP rights

• Is the European Union finally combating counterfeiters?

• What will be the end result?

Philip Stevens

Director, Health Program

International Policy Network*

 

15:10 The UK national IP crime strategy

• The difference between industry sectors and IP crime

• How pursing IP infringements can deter pharmaceutical counterfeiting

Phil Lewis

UK Patent Office

15:50 Afternoon refreshments

16:10 Anti-Counterfeiting Trading Agreement

• Protecting intellectual property rights with a trade agreement

• Understanding the impact of ACTA

Ilias Konteas

Adviser, Legal Affairs Department

Businesseurope*

16:50 Panel discussion: Fighting the fakes – To choose a combat strategy

• Should we focus on technology, legislation or a logistic approach?

• Will tracking and tracing keep the supply chain safe?

• Are the various efforts to combat counterfeiters coordinated enough?

17:40 Closing remarks from the chair

17:45  Networking drinks

            Take your discussions further and build new relationships in a relaxed and informal setting.

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Day 2, Wednesday 2nd July 2008

09:30 Registration and refreshments

10:00 Opening address from the chair

Eric Noehrenberg

Director, International Trade & Market Policy

International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations

10:10 Defending brands & pursuing offenders: The identification, pursuit, management & recovery of the proceeds of counterfeiting

• Deterrents & disruption

• Exploration of existing legislative provision to recover the proceeds of counterfeiting

• Alternative civil remedies

• Global asset tracing: identification of conduct & property

Sara Dayman

Asset Investigation and Confiscation

BDO Stoy Hayward

10:50 Analyses for detection of counterfeit medicines

• Is it counterfeit?

• Is there any active substance?

• What else is present?

• How can you find out?

Christine Eckers

Analytical Sciences

GlaxoSmithKline*

11:30 Morning refreshments

11:50 Experience with RFID and 2D barcodes

• RFID is more than an anti counterfeit technology

• RFID vs. 2D barcodes

Mark Roberti

Founder and Editor

RFID Journal*

12:30 The importance of packaging in securing the supply chain

• Novel ways of using packaging to secure your product

• Packaging: So much more than RFID and barcodes

13:10 Networking lunch

14:30 Counterfeit drugs on the internet

• The relevance of consumer education as a part of the strategy to fight counterfeit drugs

• Advertising on the internet

• Monitor internet pharmacies arranging supply chains against counterfeits and diversion through on-line purchases

Andrew Jackson

Deputy Global Head, Corporate Security

Novartis

15:10 The reality of internet pharmacies

• Presenting a study of the quality of drugs bought of the internet

• Buying medicine over the internet; where does the money go?

Jim Thomson

CEO

Centre for Mental Health

15:50 Afternoon refreshments

16:10 Parallel trade and counterfeit pharmaceuticals

• The current framework for parallel trade and repackaging of pharmaceuticals

• Discovery of counterfeit pharmaceuticals in the parallel supply chain

• Actual and proposed changes to the distribution and parallel trade framework

Christopher Stothers

Associate, Intellectual Property Practice Group

Milbank, Tweed, Hadley and McCloy

16:50 The contribution of parallel trade distribution to a safe supply chain

• While legal in the EU/EEA area, PT is often perceived by manufacturers (although not by regulators) as a weakening of the distribution chain

• The EAEPC argues that its members provide identical medicines at lower cost than manufacturers’ prices to patients and final payers. Members share with manufacturers the objective of fighting against counterfeits and raising the barriers to keep these out of the legitimate supply chain

• This presentation looks at the regulatory environment for parallel distribution and looks at the rigorously controlled business practices of re-packaging/re-labelling, and will demonstrate the safety profile of the industry. The presentation will address ways to improve the supply chain without jeopardizing the freedom of movement of pharmaceutical goods across Europe.

Heinz Kobelt

Secretary General

European Association Euro-Pharmaceutical Companies

17:30 Chair’s closing remarks

17:40 End of conference