Paris (AFP)

How, despite several alerts, the Mediator could be sold until 2009? The court began Tuesday to look at the role of the National Agency of drugs, bringing to the bar a former employee, who had also worked for Servier laboratories.

The National Agency for Drug Safety (ANSM) is, alongside Servier, on the bench of defendants, tried for homicide and unintentional injuries. The French Health Products Safety Agency (Afssaps), which became ANSM in 2012 in the wake of the Mediator scandal, was tasked with assessing the health risks posed by medicines.

She remained "deaf" to the alerts, showing "her inability to ensure real effective control of the drug," accused the investigating judges, who point in their order to return to court "many anomalies and negligence, sometimes strong suspicious. "

Catherine Rey-Quinio is the first witness to come forward. This 61-year-old woman joined Afssaps in 1998 as an evaluator: she was in charge of drug efficacy issues, and thus evaluated the Mediator. But before the Afssaps, this former general practitioner also worked between 1990 and 1993 for Servier laboratories.

It is important for her to testify because her "probity has been questioned". She says she has been accused of being "a spy Servier" and wants to "remove any doubt about collusion".

"What did you know about the Mediator in 1998?" Asked President Sylvie Daunis. "Few things, which I kept in mind since 1993". The witness refers to a "pharmacological kinship". "The big sisters, the cousins, who was it?" Questions the magistrate. "Isomeride, Ponderal," acknowledges the witness. When Mme Rey-Quinio worked at Servier's, she was in charge of Isomeride.

Isomeride and Ponderal are appetite suppressants Servier laboratories, removed from the market in 1997. From the mid-1990s, warnings had increased on the deadly risks associated with appetite suppressants.

- "Personal advisor" -

These two medications share a common metabolite, norfenfluramine, a substance that is toxic to the heart and lungs. The latter, presented as an antidiabetic but widely prescribed as appetite suppressant, remained on the market until 2009.

A situation very different from that of other European countries: in 2003, Servier had given up marketing the Mediator in Spain and Italy, in a context of strong pressure imposed by the Spanish and Italian health authorities.

Used by five million people during the 33 years of its commercialization, the Mediator is held responsible for hundreds of deaths.

A lawyer from the civil party, Ms. Stella Bisseuil, questions Mrs. Rey-Quinio: "I wonder if you could not afford to be a whistleblower You had worked at Servier, on Isomeride. Did you know the Isoméride scandal? You knew the anorexigenic character of the Mediator.Were you not the most appropriate person to get up and say: + There is a problem! +? ".

"In all humility, I do not think I had the skills," says the witness, who has repeatedly highlighted his "limited" access to "filtered" information. "I'm not a pharmacologist!", She defends herself.

But the witness, under a volley of questions from lawyers and prosecutors, admits that "perhaps" the question of a withdrawal of the Mediator could have arisen "earlier".

Thursday, will be heard a former employee of Afssaps, Jean-Michel Alexandre, but who is warned him. This former director of drug evaluation at Afssaps between 1993 and 2000 became just after his departure "personal advisor" Servier, mission for which he was paid "very generously" according to the investigating judges.

The trial, which began on 23 September, is scheduled to last until the end of April.

© 2019 AFP