Medicines board inquiry into availability of bogus Viagra

AN investigation into the open availability of potentially dangerous counterfeit Viagra pills originating in India has been launched by the Irish Medicines Board (IMB).

The pills, called Camagra, contain a pirate version of Viagra's active ingredient, sildenafil, and are being sold openly in sex shops and through mail order. Sildenafil is a prescription-only medication, which could prove fatal in severe cases if taken by someone suffering from a serious heart complaint.

"The IMB can confirm that the medicinal product advertised is an unauthorised product containing sildenafil 100 mg, the same as the active ingredient of Viagra," said an IMB spokesman, adding that the bogus product had been manufactured in India where patent laws are not yet effective. The IMB has also begun an inquiry into the Sunday World newspaper, which has been running illegal ads for the unlicensed drugs. Ads for two separate retailers selling the drug have been appearing in the newspaper for more than a month. The ads offer "Viagra" substitutes for 13 each. But an IMB spokesman yesterday confirmed that the paper had broken the law under the terms of medical licensing legislation and was under investigation.