The London-based International Chamber of Commerce's Counterfeiting Intelligence Bureau is developing a new initiative to help pharmaceutical companies fight the growing problem of counterfeit drugs. The service, due to be launched early this year, will include a facility for the confidential exchange of drug counterfeiting information on an international level. Participants will include pharmaceutical firms and regulators, experts in anti-counterfeiting technology and law enforcement. "Pharmaceutical counterfeiting is a deadly international crime. Thousands of people have already died because the drugs they were taking simply contained no active ingredients," says Peter Lowe of ICC's Counterfeiting Intelligence Bureau. "Pharmaceutical companies can do a lot to fight the problem." Recent fakes include eye drops made from tap water, paracetamol syrup from industrial solvent and contraceptive pills made from wheat flour. Investigations have revealed the widespread sale of fake anti-malarial pills that contain no real drugs, particularly in South East Asian countries such as Cambodia. According to Lowe, patients in the developing world are most at risk--in some areas up to 60% of drugs could be phoney. But counterfeit drugs are also appearing on shelves in Europe and the United States through international crime networks; direct sales over the Internet; and pharmacists looking for a cheap alternative to trusted sources. The World Health Organization estimates that 10% of global pharmaceutical commerce is in fakes. Health risks aside, CIB say the fake drugs racket is causing pharmaceutical companies to lose tens of billions of dollars every year.