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Contact: Erica Chabot Sen. Patrick Leahy's office 202-224-7703 WASHINGTON (Wednesday, May 23, 2012) Legislation authored byU.S. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) toincrease penalties for trafficking counterfeit drugs was adopted bythe Senate Wednesday as part of a substitute amendment to the Foodand Drug Administration user fee legislation being debated thisweek. The legislation responds to recommendations made by the U.S.Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator and theadministration s Counterfeit Pharmaceutical Inter-agency WorkingGroup. Few things are more important to consumer well-being thanensuring the safety of our pharmaceutical supply chain, saidLeahy. Law enforcement is finding counterfeit versions of drugsthat patients rely on to treat blood clots, cholesterol, prostatecancer, influenza, Alzheimer s, and other serious conditions.Counterfeit drugs reportedly result in 100,000 deaths globally eachyear, and account for an estimated $75 billion in annual revenuefor criminal enterprises. We must do more to prevent and deter thisconduct. Those trafficking counterfeit pharmaceuticals put lives at risk,and the penalties should reflect the threat and danger of thesedrugs, Grassley said. Illegal counterfeit drugs are amulti-billion dollar global industry that's growing at analarming pace, especially online, so there's no time to wastein creating an effective deterrent and making certain that justiceis served with meaningful penalties. Our bipartisan legislation isdesigned to meet this important goal, and the broader-based drugsafety bill is an ideal way to move it forward. The Counterfeit Drug Penalty Enhancement Act will increasepenalties for the trafficking of counterfeit drugs to reflect theseverity of the crime and the harm to the public. While it iscurrently illegal to traffic in counterfeit drugs, the penaltiesare no different than those for the trafficking of othercounterfeit products, such as clothing. The Counterfeit DrugPenalty Enhancement Act will target violators that endangerconsumer safety by trafficking in counterfeit medicines. The Counterfeit Drug Penalty Enhancement Act is supported by thepharmaceutical industry and consumer groups like the Alliance forSafe Online Pharmacies and Easter Seals, and the U.S. Chamber ofCommerce. The legislation was unanimously approved by the Senate in March. Itawaits action in the House of Representatives. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as China Waterproof Hour Meter , Hand Tally Counter, and more. For more , please visit Vibration Hour Meter today!
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