AEGiS-ATDN: Fake Serostim

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2002. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Fake Serostim

Information Bulletin #15 - May 2002

Serono, the drug company that makes the anti-AIDS wasting Serostim, has once again announced that counterfeit Serostim is on the market. Because the drug was neither manufactured or distributed by Serono, they have no idea if the drug is either safe or effective. Serono believes that the fake drug is being distributed through the Internet, where ads to buy "human growth hormone" without a prescription frequently pop up. The most recent counterfeit Serostim has been packaged to appear as a drug product lot number S810-1A1. This is not a real Serostim lot number. Patients can sometimes get the expensive drug covered by Medicaid, usually through a time consuming and often difficult process. A few ADAP programs cover the drug, but not all insurance companies do. A recent study suggested that Serostim may be beneficial to the thymus of people with AIDS, but much more testing needs to be done before any conclusions can be made.

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