In the wake of news regarding counterfeit Avastin hitting the US market, a new analysis released by LegitScript.com estimates that out of roughly 450 companies with ICANN accreditations to sell domain names, over 71% of all rogue online pharmacies are clustered with just ten Registrars, with over 50% of all rogue online pharmacies at just two Registrars.
The report estimates that a single Registrar, Internet.bs, sponsors 1 in 3 (33%) of the world's active rogue online pharmacies, even though it is the Registrar for only about 0.2% of the world's domain names overall. According to the company's report, 44% of "not recommended" online pharmacies listed on the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy's website are registered with the company as well.
The report identifies rogue online pharmacies as websites facilitating the sale of prescription drugs without requiring a prescription and/or selling unapproved (e.g., counterfeit or falsified) medicines, and notes several recent instances of death, overdose or injury from such websites.
LegitScript President John Horton stated, "A significant majority of Registrars should be commended for prohibiting the use of their platforms in the furtherance of counterfeit drug and other illicit drug sales. However, rogue online pharmacies are clustering at the small number of 'safe haven' Registrars that turn a blind eye to rogue online pharmacy domain name registrations, or even welcome the business."
As part of the analysis, the report outlines how undercover researchers were able to work with one Registrar, Internet.bs, to register over 175 domains with names like oxycodonenoprescription.com, genuine-anti-cancer-drugs.com, and licensed-us-pharmacy.com, and post rogue online pharmacy content. The registrations included over 50 domains that had previously been shut down as part of an Interpol-led anti-counterfeit drug operation called Operation Pangea.
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