A French appeals court ruled that Servier Pharmaceutical paid over $460 million in damages related to a diabetes drug scam connected to hundreds of deaths, the latest development in a protracted court battle that has lasted for more than a decade.
The health debacle became a subject of controversy in 2007 when a physician expressed apprehensions regarding the cardiovascular hazards linked to Mediator, a medication originally intended for obese patients with diabetes. However, the medication was prescribed to others as an appetite suppressant, which was beyond its intended use.
Following the discovery that Mediator was accountable for as many as 1,800 fatalities, it was subsequently outlawed in France, and the United States, Spain, and Italy enacted similar prohibitions.
According to a report published by VOA, injuries and "aggravated fraud" were upheld by the Paris Court of Appeals, along with "involuntary manslaughter and injuries." Following the court order, Servier is obligated to pay $9.8 million in fines and compensate the National Social Security Agency and health insurance companies over $455 million. It is worth noting that the damages in question exceed the amount specified in the initial judgment from 2021.
Photo taken on January 19, 2011 in Brest.
A Big Win For Victims
In the court's decision, Jean-Philippe Seta, the former right-hand man of one of Servier's late founders, was given a four-year sentence, including serving one year with an electronic bracelet and a fine of €90,000 ($98,000).
Charles-Joseph Oudin, a lawyer representing more than 7,000 civil parties in the lawsuit, expressed his satisfaction, deeming it a "huge victory for the victims" he has been representing since the case's inception in November 2010.
A French court deemed Servier negligent in 2015, eight years after the scandal came to light, for releasing "defective" medication onto the market. The recent ruling concludes a protracted legal battle.
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Initially approved under the laboratory name benfluorex, Mediator was intended to decrease lipid levels, which are fatty proteins. The product's purported benefit was to aid diabetics in the regulation of their blood sugar levels. However, the drug's ability to curb hunger led to a lot of prescription use, even by non-diabetic individuals who wanted to lose weight.
According to The Lancet, Mediator, introduced in France in 1976 as an add-on therapy for hyperlipidemia and diabetes, was later off-label used for obesity. In its more than 30 years on the market, experts found that the drug caused the deaths of thousands.
Diabetes Remains a Global Concern
Diabetes is a metabolic disease characterized by persistently high blood sugar. Cases of the disease have increased dramatically over the last three decades, with 422 million people affected worldwide, and it kills about 1.5 million people per year, according to the World Health Organization.
Lifestyle choices such as regular exercise, healthy eating, tobacco avoidance, and managing blood pressure and lipids play a crucial role in managing diabetes. Moreover, regular screenings for eye, kidney, and foot damage enable early detection and intervention.
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