“The number of people in the world suffering from diabetes is increasing. While governments have a role in prevention and control of diabetes, individuals can also make a difference by taking responsibility for their own health. Eating right and undertaking regular physical activity to maintain a healthy weight can cut the risk of diabetes or delay its onset”.

Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh,
Regional Director for WHO South-East Asia Region

Interpol warns of rise in fake medicinesDUBLIN, Nov 2014: At the Interpol conference on pharmaceutical crime in Dublin this week the global crime agency says the growth in crime involving fake or tampered-with medicines "threatens the lives of millions of people" and undermines health systems worldwide.

China vows harsher punishment for production, sale of fake drugsBEIJING, Nov 2014: China will hand out harsher punishment for the production and sale of fake and substandard drugs as the country combats increasingly severe drug scandals, judicial authorities said on Tuesday.

FDA approves Avastin for ovarian cancer

NOVEMBER, 2014: Roche has garnered a new indication for Avastin from US regulators, this time in combination with chemotherapy for the treatment of women with platinum-resistant, recurrent ovarian cancer.

FDA Warns About Undeclared Drugs Found in Weight-Loss Product

NOVEMBER, 2014: FDA is advising consumers not to purchase or use Sit and Slim II, promoted and sold as a dietary supplement with weight loss claims. Sit and Slim II has been found to contain undeclared phenolphthalein, sibutramine or a combination of both, which makes it an unapproved drug. Sibutramine was a controlled, FDA-approved substance for the treatment of obesity until it was removed from the U.S. market in 2010 for safety reasons. Phenolphthalein, once used in over-the-counter laxatives, is also not approved for marketing in the U.S. because of concerns that the substance can cause cancer.

Patients are growing concerned about reports of counterfeit drugs being provided by doctors. In February, 19 U.S. cancer clinics were warned by the FDA that they had received counterfeit versions of a cancer drug. Patients can protect themselves by asking their physicians questions about the origins of medicines they receive in their doctor's office. Authentic Avastin is made in the U.S. and moves through a closed, secure drug supply chain to American cancer clinics. The counterfeit medication, however, crossed four continents before arriving in the U.S. via unauthorized distributors. Investigators are working to identify those responsible for manufacturing this fake medicine. One thing they do know is that the fake product was not the vital, lifesaving chemotherapy patients expected.