The French group Sanofi announced, Monday, February 3, its indictment in the case of Dépakine, at the heart of a health scandal for several years.
"This measure allows him to assert all of his defenses and will be an opportunity to demonstrate that he has complied with his obligation and demonstrated transparency," the laboratory said in a statement released on Monday evening.
An investigation was opened in September 2016 to determine whether the risks inherent in the use of sodium valproate, an antiepileptic drug sold by Sanofi under the brand name Depakine, have been deceived.
This drug, which is at the origin of thousands of congenital malformations, has been banned since June 2018 in France during pregnancy and to women of reproductive age except in exceptional circumstances.
>> To read: Thousands of malformations observed in children exposed to Depakine
Between 2,150 and 4,100 children who were exposed in utero to valproate and its derivatives over the period 1967-2016 are suffering from at least one major congenital malformation, according to an estimate for France established by a study by the health authorities published in 2017.
The investigation was opened at the instigation of Apesac (Association for helping parents of children suffering from anticonvulsant syndrome).
Its president, Marine Martin, welcomed in a press release this investigation into the laboratory. "I am extremely satisfied to see the criminal proceedings that I initiated in 2016 take an important step. Sanofi will have to explain itself for the tens of thousands of poisoned victims, more than a hundred of whom died," he said. she declared.
With Reuters
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