Mediator should never have been authorized for use
In terms of the fraud charges, the prosecutor estimated that the losses incurred by the primary health insurance industry were in the region of several hundred million euros.
She argued that Mediator should never have been reimbursed, as “it should never have benefited from market authorization, which it received solely due to the fraudulent actions of the company.”
But because of the statute of limitations, this argument was not heard, explained Dr. Frachon, “and the same is true of conflicts of interest, where limitations led to them being discharged.
“We understand the legal difficulties, but it’s a shame in terms of the signal sent.”
“I hope the medical world will learn the lesson and not continue with ‘business as usual’ with people who are delinquents. I think it will be essential to restore public confidence,” concluded Dr. Frachon.
No conflicts of interest or funding were declared.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.