Sumeet Sud shares news about Edible “Security Tag” on Drugs

There is an estimated 250,000 child deaths annually from fake and low quality drugs for malaria and pneumonia. In the US, counterfeit drugs range from cancer and diabetes treatment to erectile dysfunction medication. Manufacturing prescription drugs with distinct markings, colors, shapes or packaging is not enough to protect them from counterfeiting. Fake medicines is a thriving business making up at least 10% of global pharmaceutical commerce. The researchers are aiming to stump counterfeiters with an edible “security tag” embedded into medicine. To imitate the drug, a counterfeiter would have to uncrack a complicated puzzle of patterns not visible to the naked eye. Tagging drugs would not only guard fakery, but help pharmacies to verify legitimacy of a drug. Every single tag is unique and acts as a digital fingerprint for each drug capsule or tablet. A thin transparent film made of silk proteins and fluorescent proteins genetically fused together which is easily digestible and can be consumed as part of a pill or tablet.