Q-Med turns to coded security seals to protect Restylane

Swedish company Q-Med has added a coded security seal to packs of its dermal filler therapy Restylane to help protect customers from counterfeits.

Restylane (hyaluronic acid) is used to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and plump up lips, and like other products in this category - witness the recent examples of Botox falsification - is under continued threat of counterfeiting and diversion, particularly in China.

That vulnerability has prompted Q-Med to apply security features to its brand in China (pictured) that will allow doctors and patients to authenticate the product.

The company turned to Schreiner MediPharm and sister company Schreiner ProSecure for a tamper-evident syringe label with overt and covert security features, including a 23-digit KeySecure code underneath a scratch panel that is referenced to a separate barcode.

To authenticate the product, the doctor or therapist exposes the code by scratching off the cover, dials a phone number and enters the code via the keypad or touchscreen, says Schreiner. The caller receives an automated message giving a verdict on the authenticity of the code within a few seconds.

The scale of the counterfeit medicines problem in China was revealed last August when the national authorities seized fake products worth $180m.

"The KeySecure tracing system allows products to be tracked anywhere in the world," says Thomas Völcker, head of business development and marketing at Schreiner ProSecure.

"Aside from the telephonic query, web-based queries are possible too, depending on the manufacturer’s requirements [and] if desired we can also make automatic checks using smartphones available," he adds.

Restylane was originally developed by Q-Med, which was acquired by Galderma in 2011, and is distributed by Valeant Pharmaceuticals in North America following its acquisition of Medicis last year.  It competes in the marketplace against Allergan's Juvederm dermal filler.