US government awarded patent on fake drug detector

The CD-3 counterfeit medicine detection device developed by the US FDA has been awarded a US patent.The battery-powered handheld device, which was developed by a team led by FDA research biologist Nico Ranieri, uses optical wavelength testing to detect counterfeit drugs and packaging. To date it has been rolled out at certain US ports of entry – including mail-handling centres and border points – as an initial screening device for customs officers. The device has also been deployed on a pilot basis in Ghana, while Health Canada has also started using it.