USPTO Weighs Campaign Against Counterfeit Medicines
The agency is exploring a nationwide awareness effort that could enlist celebrities and influencers to warn about counterfeit pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Drug Crime
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The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is exploring a nationwide awareness campaign against counterfeit pharmaceuticals and medical devices falsely presented as products from real companies. Government procurement documents show the proposed work could include identifying and pitching influencers, celebrities and journalists to promote it.
Why it matters
The FDA says counterfeit medicines can contain harmful substances or incorrect amounts of active ingredients, making consumer awareness a public health concern. The effort follows recent seizures and alerts involving counterfeit drugs and eye drops.
Customs and Border Protection officers working with the FDA seized 54,843 counterfeit products, worth more than $3.53 million if genuine, in a weeklong Cincinnati operation announced in August 2025. The USPTO has not said whether the campaign will be funded or launched.
The players
United States Patent and Trademark Office
The federal agency responsible for granting patents and registering trademarks, which is exploring the awareness campaign against counterfeit medicines and medical devices.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
The federal agency that regulates drugs and medical products and has warned that counterfeit medicines can contain harmful substances or incorrect ingredient amounts.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
The federal border enforcement agency that worked with the FDA on the Cincinnati seizure of 54,843 counterfeit products.
National Crime Prevention Council
A nonprofit organization that works with the USPTO on the Go for Real campaign.
The details
The proposed campaign would work with the National Crime Prevention Council's Go for Real initiative and warn about counterfeit pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Recent enforcement includes the FDA's December 2025 seizure of dozens of counterfeit Ozempic 1-milligram injection units that used lot number PAR1229, also found on authentic Ozempic, and an October 16 FDA alert on counterfeit eye drops with bacterial contamination in Florida and Georgia.
Timeline
August 2025: CBP and FDA announce the Cincinnati counterfeit seizure operation.
October 16: FDA issues alert on counterfeit over-the-counter eye drops.
December 2025: FDA seizes counterfeit Ozempic injection units.
November 16: Industry responses to the USPTO request are due.
Seasonal Patterns
The proposed campaign extends the USPTO's existing Go for Real partnership with the National Crime Prevention Council into a push focused on counterfeit pharmaceuticals and medical devices. It follows a run of federal seizures and alerts, including the FDA's counterfeit Ozempic seizure and eye drop warning, rather than marking a new enforcement direction.
Consumers who buy medicines or eye drops outside authorized channels face risks of harmful substances, wrong dosages, and contamination. Checking lot numbers and packaging against authentic products can help reduce that risk.
The takeaway
Counterfeit medicines can look identical to genuine products, so buying from authorized pharmacies and checking packaging details such as lot numbers and expiration text is the most practical safeguard for consumers.
What happens next
Industry responses to the USPTO request are due November 16, and they may inform acquisition planning and any future solicitation.
Further reading
For related coverage of counterfeit medication enforcement, see Drug Crime reporting.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Newsweek.
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