Singapore: Associate professor Serge Rudaz of Geneva University's School of Pharmaceutical Sciences has invented a low cost machine that can detect weakened or counterfeit drugs.

Prof Rudaz and his machine were featured in an article by Mr Ben Schiller in Fast Company. The machine, which costs only a fraction of what other commercial equipments costs, is being distributed to health centers in the developing world with the help of NGO, Pharmelp.

Weakened, fake or counterfeit drugs have led to resistance among deadly microorganisms that cause diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and other world pandemic threats. Although the threat exists primarily in the developing world, health consequences of the illicit drug trade eventually impacts all nations of the world.

Furthermore, global sales of impure drugs are estimated to be around $200 billion in late 2012, according to Forbes. Fake drugs are made across just about any category of drug and contain fillers including brick dust, contain chalk, paint, and even pesticides.