Pfizer drug counterfeit importers jailed

Smugglers of counterfeit versions of Viagra (sildenafil citrate), the erectile-dysfunction treatment from Pfizer, have been jailed in two separate cases in Israel, it has been reported.

In the first case, textile importer Moshe Perach was caught attempting to bring 160,000 imitation tablets into the country in a container of clothing being imported into Israel, Ha’aretz reports, with Perach consequently receiving a 15 month sentence.

Perach received a sentence of this length from the court in Tel Aviv to reflect the seriousness of the crime, the daily paper said.

In the other case, Yoram Shulavitz was jailed for six months for his part in trading in the counterfeit pharmaceuticals.

“We are happy to see the state and the police helping increase enforcement against fake drugs and their import into Israel,” a representative from Pfizer told the newspaper.

Earlier this week Pfizer reported on its participation in the first symposium held by the European Parliament investigating drug counterfeiting within the European Union, with the conference highlighting concerns regarding the introduction of fake medication into legitimate supply chain channels.

The company expressed worries that the increased presence of counterfeit drugs, such as phony versions of its own Lipitor and Viagra treatments, could affect the lives of patients on the continent and around the world.