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Instant Clarity: AI Cut 100 Suspect Counterfeits Down to 5 Variants for Top 10 Pharma

By 2 min read

The Challenge

After an anti-counterfeit initiative that relied on packaging markers fell short, a leading pharmaceutical company was left exposed. Counterfeit complaints were coming in from across the globe, but the company had no way to distinguish isolated incidents from larger threats. They needed a fully non-additive solution that could work with existing packaging already in the field, as packaging often remains in circulation for up to five years.

What they faced:

  • Increased product quality complaints involving suspected counterfeit contact lenses
  • A legacy vendor whose marker-based solution failed
  • Urgent need for a non-additive, scalable solution that could analyze packaging without modification already in the field.

Solution

TrueMed offered something their prior vendor couldn’t:

  • Non-additive forensic analysis
  • Instant Digital lab and field capability to analyze potential counterfeits
  • Immediate insights and reporting

With TrueMed’s AI-powered Digital Forensic Lab, the company could analyze and cluster counterfeits based on packaging design with no added markers required.

Before TrueMed

  • 100+ complaints, no pattern
  • Every case treated as unique
  • Failed packaging marker system
  • No scalable field solution

After TrueMed

  • 5 clear counterfeit variants
  • Visual clustering by AI
  • Zero product modification
  • Field-ready forensic intelligence

Our lab had been treating every counterfeit as a separate case. TrueMed revealed the pattern behind the noise. This is a leap forward in how we handle brand protection.
— Director, Global Brand Protection

How it Worked

TrueMed analyzed 10 key graphical packaging elements per sample (fonts, logos, print quality) and applied a custom clustering algorithm to identify shared patterns.

100 counterfeits were grouped into just 5 meaningful variants.

This allowed the client to:

  • Identify geographic spread of variants
  • Understand visual “mutations” across time
  • Focus enforcement where it matters most

Impact and Looking Ahead

TrueMed helped the client shift from reacting to 100 scattered counterfeit cases to focusing on 5 key threats—revealing actionable patterns behind the noise.

  • Transformed isolated investigations into pattern-driven strategy
  • Boosted internal confidence in scalable, non-additive solutions
  • Set the stage for long-term cost savings and broader rollout

Related Resources

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