CAPITAL CAPSULES

Rx-reimport law may stay dead, but remedies promised

Recent cases involving counterfeit injectables and reports from Congressional investigators that U.S. mail facilities are being overwhelmed by prescription drug shipments from overseas make it increasingly likely that the Bush Administration won't resurrect the Rx-reimportation law.

The FDA is investigating bogus lots of Epogen (epoetin alfa) and Neupogen (filgrastim), both made by Amgen; Serostim (somatropin, Serono); and Nutropin (somatropin, Genentech) all discovered this year. At the same time, House Energy & Commerce Committee staffers discovered that as many as 700 packages a day containing pharmaceuticals were being held by the U.S. Customs at one mail facility while the FDA was able to process only 30 of them to see whether they were legitimate or otherwise legal.

"Do thousands of packages, even if initially detained by Customs, simply get delivered to the addressee without review?" asked committee chairman W. J. "Billy" Tauzin (R, La.). A hearing has been scheduled for answers.

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