New technology represents next-generation tool for detecting substandard and counterfeit medicines

July 26, 2012 in Medications

A new platform for detecting substandard and counterfeit medicines using microfluidics has been recognized with a grant from Saving Lives at Birth's "Grand Challenge through Development." Dubbed PharmaCheck, the technology is a portable, field-based tool for assessing the quality of medicines in developing countries with increased accuracy, sensitivity and reliability.

Through the Challenge, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada and the U.K. Department for International Development sought groundbreaking prevention and treatment approaches for pregnant women and newborns in poor, hard-to-reach communities in . Substandard and counterfeit medicines for diseases including malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS pose a dire public health threat to patients in developing countries, in particular children and pregnant women. Such medicines can exacerbate the course of these diseases, even leading to death, as well as contribute to the growth of drug-resistant disease parasites—threatening the viability of treatments for patients worldwide.

Developed by Boston University in collaboration with the Promoting the Quality of Medicines (PQM) program, which is supported by USAID and implemented by the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP), PharmaCheck has reached the proof of concept stage—demonstrating a quantitation linear relationship for analysis of an antimalarial medicine of interest on a microfluidic chip. The technology addresses shortcomings of current field-based, portable quality control laboratories currently in use throughout the developing world—including the inability to precisely and accurately measure the percentage of the active pharmaceutical ingredient or other important quality attributes of medicines. These are key to determining whether a medicine is of poor quality or not. Furthermore, the technology is expected to greatly reduce the need for confirmation of field-tested results at fully equipped quality control laboratories.

"This technology promises to be groundbreaking in the fight against substandard and ," said Mr. Anthony Boni, Pharmaceutical Management Specialist for USAID's Global Health Bureau, Office of Health, Infectious Diseases and Nutrition/Health Systems Division. "Inexpensive, easy-to-use and effective, we expect that PharmaCheck will represent a paradigm shift in combating the scourge of poor-quality medicines. One of the most exciting elements is the ability to potentially deploy this technology at point-of-use, with an ultimate vision of healthcare facilities, clinics and hospitals using the technology to verify the quality of the medicines they receive."

"This technology is an important breakthrough as we strive to help ensure the quality, safety and efficacy of medicines essential to treating patients suffering from malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS in developing countries around the world," said Dr. Patrick Lukulay, Vice President of Global Health Impact Programs for USP and Director of the PQM Program. "This will be a very powerful tool with broad application and impact. We are very pleased to be partnering with Boston University in advancing this technology."

With this new grant, Boston University, led by Dr. Muhammad Zaman, will be able to accelerate development of PharmaCheck and the deployment of a finished product.

Provided by US Pharmacopeia

not rated yet  

Rank not rated yet
Related Stories
Relevant PhysicsForums posts

More news stories

Acne pill benefits outweigh blood clot risk: EU agency

Europe's medicines watchdog said Friday the benefits of acne drug Diane-35, also widely used as a contraceptive, outweigh the risk of developing blood clots in the veins—when correctly prescribed.

Medications created 23 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

First influenza vaccine brought to clinical testing

Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and Switzerland's Cytos Biotechnology AG today announced that the first healthy volunteer has been dosed in a Phase 1 clinical trial with their ...

Medications created May 17, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Aspirin not always best treatment for many individuals

(Medical Xpress)—An aspirin a day may not always keep heart disease away, say two University of Florida cardiologists. But a new algorithm they have developed outlines factors physicians should weigh as ...

Medications created May 16, 2013 | popularity 3.5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

FDA: lower ambien's dose to prevent drowsy driving

(HealthDay)—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved new, lower-dose labeling for the popular sleep drug Ambien (zolpidem) in an effort to cut down on daytime drowsiness that could be a hazard ...

Medications created May 15, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Simponi approved for ulcerative colitis

(HealthDay)—Simponi (golimumab) injection has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat adults with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis.

Medications created May 15, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0


New research identifies risks, interventions for children's GI health

An increasing number of U.S. children are experiencing gastrointestinal issues that require interventions to resolve, according to research presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW).

New colonoscope provides ground-breaking view of colon

A ground-breaking advance in colonoscopy technology signals the future of colorectal care, according to research presented today at Digestive Disease Week(DDW). Additional research focuses on optimizing the minimal withdrawal ...

AIDS science at 30: 'Cure' now part of lexicon

Big names in medicine are set to give an upbeat assessment of the war on AIDS on Tuesday, 30 years after French researchers identified the virus that causes the disease.

For combat veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, 'fear circuitry' in the brain never rests

Chronic trauma can inflict lasting damage to brain regions associated with fear and anxiety. Previous imaging studies of people with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, have shown that these brain regions can over-or ...

Melon focus headband turns to Kickstarter for rollout plans

(Medical Xpress)—What if the quality of your work depends more on your focus on the piano keys or canvas or laptop than your musical or painting or computing skills? If target users can be convinced, they ...

Temporal processing in the olfactory system

The neural machinery underlying our olfactory sense continues to be an enigma for neuroscience. A recent review in Neuron seeks to expand traditional ideas about how neurons in the olfactory bulb might encode information about ...