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Al Marsad Journal – Agencies: A French court convicted a local pharmaceutical company of fraud and manslaughter over diet pills, amid a major health scandal.
It was on the market 33 years ago
The company “Servier” had developed a drug called “Meditor” used by diabetics suffering from overweight, and it was put on the market 33 years ago.
But it was withdrawn later in 2009 over fears that it could cause serious heart problems, and the drug is said to have killed hundreds of people.
Five million people
Doctors have recommended the drug to nearly five million people over a 30-year period, despite various warnings about its side effects, and thousands of complainants have participated in the trial, which began in 2019.
Judgment details
Pharmaceutical company Servier has denied any knowledge of Mediator’s side effects, but on Monday the court issued a ruling fining the company 2.7 million euros ($ 3.2 million), and the former vice-president of the company, Jean-Philippe Seta, was also sentenced to a prison sentence.
The French Medical Regulatory Authority faces a fine of more than 300,000 euros for its role in the scandal, and AFP says the judge told him that the authority had “seriously failed” in its duties.
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