FDA Is Searching for Patterns in Drug-Tampering Incidents

Federal officials are investigating three cases so far this month in which brand-name drugs were either tampered with or counterfeited, potentially putting patients at serious risk. The FDA as well as the manufacturers involved said they were continuing to investigate the cases, which -- except for their timing -- seem to have little to do with one another. The incidents involved drugs made by GlaxoSmithKline, Eli Lilly & Co., and Amgen, and differing methods of tampering were used in each case. While occasional cases of tampering pop up, one expert said the string of cases was unprecedented. "I've never seen anything like it in 30 years since I've been a pharmacist," said Larry Sasich, who works with Public Citizen's Health Research Group.

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