WHO cancels controversial plan to redefine counterfeit medicines

NEW DELHI The World Health Organization has canceled a controversial plan to redefine counterfeit medicines in a way that some feared would threaten generic drug makers.

Governments of developing countries, including India and Brazil, said the proposed rules would allow legitimate generic drugs to be labeled counterfeits if problems were found in the label or packaging.

The WHO's International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Taskforce wanted to redefine a counterfeit drug as having "false representation about its identity, history and source."