NBI agents seize fake medicines from hospital, pharmacy

MANILA, Philippines — National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents have seized hundreds of fake anti-hypertension and pain-reliever drugs worth P60,000 in separate raids in Manila and Caloocan City, the bureau reported on Saturday. Regional Director Elfren Meneses, chief of the NBI Intellectual Property Rights Division (IPRD), said the fake medicines were confiscated from Acebedo General Hospital on Gen. Luis Street in Bagbaguin, Caloocan City and Longlife Pharmaceutical Inc. on Benavidez Street in Binondo, Manila. Meneses said raiders confiscated 946 pieces of counterfeit Norvasc tablets, a type of anti-hypertension medicine, and 806 pieces of fake pain reliever Ponstan. He said the raids, conducted last Wednesday but made known only on Saturday, stemmed from the complaint filed by Pfizer Inc., manufacturer of Norvasc and Ponstan. Armed with search warrants issued by Judges Calixtro Adriatico and Teresa Soriaso, of the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC), the raiding teams swooped down on the erring establishments following surveillance and test buys. The owners of the establishments are facing charges for violation of Republic Act 8203 (Special Law on Counterfeit Drugs). - GMANews.TV