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Servier Faces Paris Manslaughter Trial Over Alleged Drug Deaths

  • Judges have set aside half a year of courtroom time for case
  • Company’s late founder Jacques Servier had also been charged
FRANCE-HEALTH-SERVIER-MEDICINE

Photographer: Guillaume Souvant/AFP via Getty Images

Les Laboratoires Servier stands trial in Paris on Monday charged with offenses including corporate manslaughter following as many as 2,000 deaths allegedly linked to the sale of its Mediator drug.

Paris judges have carved out more than half a year of courtroom time to scrutinize the scandal over the diabetes treatment that was widely used as an appetite suppressant and sold in France for 33 years. A government medicine safety agency as well as 14 suspects are also on trial on accusations ranging from aggravated deceit to manslaughter.