Former executives at medical products company Synthes would face jail time under sentencing guidelines expected to be proposed this week by prosecutors regarding an illegal medical trials case, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
West Chester-based Synthes, then-subsidiary Norian Corp. and the executives have pleaded guilty to charges the companies conducted unauthorized tests of a cement bone void filler on nearly 200 spinal surgery patients between 2002 and 2004. Three patients died during the clinical trials. According to reports, prosecutors have said they can’t prove links between the deaths and the trials in question, which involved about 200 patients.
Proscutors “have fought,” the Inquirer says, “to have evidence discussed before sentencing, knowing how rare it is for pharmaceutical executives to go to jail."Synthes agreed to be sold earlier this year to Johnson & Johnson, and has sold Norian to Exton-based Kensey
