HP Launches Cloud Service To Fight Counterfeit Drugs

HP has launched its Global Authentication Service, a cloud-based track-and-trace solution based on technology that has been used to fight the global problem of counterfeit and stolen drugs, estimated to claim 700,000 lives every year and representing an illegal $75 billion global industry.

The HP Global Authentication Service allows pharmaceutical companies to monitor the movement of products through their global supply chains with a much higher degree of accuracy. This helps protect consumers against dangerous or ineffective drugs and enables pharmaceutical companies to protect their revenue and intellectual property from the growing black market.

The service is initially being rolled out in India due to the phenomenal growth in the country’s pharmaceutical industry, which also is seeing the development of a parallel counterfeit drug market. The service, which runs on scalable, cloud-based technology, also can be deployed in other industry sectors, offered in any geographical region and incorporated into an existing drug production system.

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The service’s underlying technology engine was originally developed by HP Labs – the company’s central research arm – and the HP Software Professional Services Cloud Services Innovation Center to monitor goods in HP’s supply chain. It was later adapted for use in product recalls in the food industry.

The solution was most recently adapted and deployed in collaboration with the African nonprofit social enterprise mPedigree to track, trace and authenticate a range of life-saving medications in Nigeria and Ghana, with a rollout planned for more countries later this year.

The HP Global Authentication Service works in conjunction with HP’s global printing partners who are able to print quality labels in high volumes very efficiently even when required in some of the world’s most remote locations.

“HP technology is not only providing commercial benefits to our clients, but also is helping to save lives,” said Prith Banerjee, senior vice president, Research, and director, HP Labs. “The success to date with mPedigree and subsequent commercialisation of our Global Authentication Service highlights how valuable social innovation initiatives can be in helping bring innovative service offerings to the market.”