Hospira to pull out of sodium thiopental market

Published: 25-Jan-2011

Doctors and anaesthetists voice concern about decision


Hospira, the sole producer of Penthotal (sodium thiopental), an anaesthetic used in lethal injections, has decided to exit the market following pressure from the Italian authorities to prevent its use in capital punishment.

The Lake Forest, Illinois-based pharmaceutical and medical device company had planned to resume production of the drug at its plant in Liscate, Italy early this year, but government officials wanted it to control the product from manufacture to end user to prevent its use in capital punishment.

Hospira says it has never condoned the use of Penthotal for lethal injection.

Following discussions with the Italian authorities, internal deliberation and conversations with wholesalers, Hospira said it could not prevent the drug from being diverted for use in capital punishment and had decided to exit the market.

‘Exposing our employees or facilities to liability is not a risk we are prepared to take,’ the firm said.

Hospira added that it regretted the decision and that patients would now have to find an alternative product, but issues ‘outside its control’ had forced it to pull out of the market.

The American Society of Anethesiologists (ASA) said it was ‘extremely troubled’ by the decision since sodium thiopental is ‘an important and medically necessary’ anaesthetic agent that has been used for years in patients undergoing surgical procedures.

Although its use has declined in recent years following the introduction of newer medicines such as propofol, the ASA said sodium thiopental is still considered to be a ‘first line anaesthetic in many cases’, particularly in surgery involving geriatric, neuroogic, cardiovascular and obstetric patients, for whom the side effects of other drugs could lead to serious complications.

‘It is an unfortunate irony that many more lives will be lost or put in jeopardy as a result of not having the drug available for legitimate medical use,’ the ASA concluded.

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