USA - Italy. Teva, a top pharmaceutical company moves to stop flow of execution drugs.

Top pharmaceutical company moves to stop flow of execution drugs. UK company Teva, which describes itself as a "top 10 global pharmaceutical company with $20.3bn in sales in 2012," will put in place distribution controls to ensure its products cannot be used to kill prisoners on America's death rows. Teva is recommencing production of an anaesthetic called propofol, which in large enough doses can be used to kill. As supplies of other execution drugs run out, US prisons are starting to turn to propofol to carry out capital punishment. The move brings the firm, which has its headquarters in Israel, into line with other pharmaceutical companies including Lundbeck and Fresenius Kabi, who have taken effective steps to block the use of their products for executions. Teva has stated that they too will establish procedures "to help prevent propofol from being sold to correctional institutions for use in executions and sell only to acute care hospitals, clinics and healthcare facilities where the product's use is medically necessary" said Teva spokeswoman Denise Bradley. Their efforts mirror those of German manufacturer, Fresenius Kabi, which already controls distribution of propofol to prevent its sale to prisons for use in executions. Corden Pharma manufactures propofol at a plant in Italy on behalf of Teva, according to the product prescribing label. A Corden spokesman couldn't immediately be reached. Propofol is approved for sedation or anesthesia during medical procedures or surgeries. The drug gained notoriety for its role in the overdose death of pop star Michael Jackson in 2009. Israel-based Teva stopped manufacturing the product several years ago, a development that contributed to a propofol shortage in the U.S. The company was cited by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2009 for bacterial contamination of some propofol vials. Now, Teva is relaunching the product within the next 2 weeks and will have a limited quantity available for the short term.