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| Health - Reuters - updated 5:36 PM ET Aug 22 |
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US Pharmacist Diluted 150 Cancer Drugs: OfficialsBy Carey Gillam KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Reuters) - Federal investigators asked a judge on Wednesday to freeze $6 million in assets controlled by a Missouri pharmacist accused of diluting life-saving cancer drugs for chemotherapy patients. ``It is our theory that there may have been at least 150 dilutions,'' said Chris Whitley, spokesman for the US Attorney's office in Kansas City. ``It is no secret that this is an ongoing investigation into a very massive pool of evidence.'' In a motion filed in US District Court, prosecutors said the severity of the allegations against 48-year-old pharmacist Robert Courtney warranted the immediate freezing of $6 million in Courtney's personal and business assets, and the closing of the two pharmacies that Courtney owns. Both pharmacies, one in Kansas and one in Missouri, have continued to operate since Courtney was jailed a week ago on a charge of drug adulteration and misbranding. He is being held without bail and his elderly father, who worked as a pharmacy bookkeeper for his son, has been keeping the businesses open. Courtney's wealth, estimated at more than $10 million, made him a flight risk, and was a factor in the court's decision to keep him in jail without bond. In court Monday, prosecutors said they were investigating a report that Courtney may have moved money to an offshore bank account, and they questioned efforts by Courtney's father to transfer about $200,000 from a business account to a personal family account last week. ``We believe it was important to move expeditiously to preserve assets and prevent any possible attempt to put those assets out of reach,'' Whitley said. Federal agents raided Courtney's Research Medical Towers Pharmacy on August 13, alleging that Courtney had repeatedly diluted cancer drugs to pad his profits. Since then, more than 1,500 people have called an FBI (news - web sites) hotline set up to gather information. Courtney has admitted to diluting the chemotherapy treatments for at least 30 people, but told investigators his actions were limited to a 6-month period ending in May. An undercover operation tested chemotherapy treatments prepared by Courtney's pharmacy just a few weeks ago, however, and found those also significantly diluted. Investigators have said they do not believe Courtney has been truthful about the scope of the dilutions, and hundreds of cancer patients may have been victimized. Several lawsuits have been filed against Courtney both by cancer patients whose conditions have declined after receiving chemotherapy treatments prepared by Courtney and by family members of cancer patients who died after the treatments. Prosecutors have said they plan to take the case before a grand jury and will seek a range of additional charges. Courtney's attorney has said he will plead not guilty.
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