Ministry of Justice issues warning to Ministry of Health over counterfeit drugs

The Intellectual Property Center of the Ministry of Justice issued a formal warning to the Ministry of Health concerning the distribution of counterfeit drugs. In 2023, justice authorities identified 21 cases where intellectual property rights were violated during the registration of pharmaceuticals. An additional 16 cases have been uncovered since the beginning of this year.

Pharmaceutical companies were found to be producing drugs under brand names resembling legitimate products, such as "Nest Imudon" and "Grand Imudon" (copies of the "Imudon" brand), "Smecta" (mimicking the original "Smekta"), "Mer Duspatanim" (a copy of "Duspatalin"), "Elemalvit" (similar to "Elevit"), and "Magne B6."

The Ministry of Justice reminded that the Ministry of Health is responsible for the registration of pharmaceuticals and medical products, according to the Law on Medicines and Pharmaceutical Activities. The law explicitly prohibits the production of illegal copies of registered drugs in Uzbekistan.

The warning emphasizes the need for the Ministry of Health to take comprehensive measures to prevent further violations during the registration process. The Ministry of Justice cautioned that repeated offenses would result in legal sanctions.

In September, the Ministry of Justice halted the sale of counterfeit medication "Nest Imudon," which closely resembled the "Imudon" product from Abbott Products. The local manufacturer was fined 200 BCU (approximately 68 million UZS at the time).