Sun Pharma against use of its drug for lethal injection in US

Drug major Sun Pharmaceutical Industries today said it is against the usage of its products as lethal injections amid reports that one of its products is among the three purchased by State of Arkansas in the US for executions.
"In order to ensure that our products are not misused for lethal purposes, we currently require our customers to certify that they will prohibit the use and sale of such products to other customers and members that may administer lethal injections or which may sell to facilities that administer lethal injections," a Sun Pharma spokesperson told PTI.
The spokesperson was reacting to a media report that a drug sold by Sun Pharma could be used for executions by the State of Arkansas.

"Furthermore, we have notified our customers that we will not sell to the class of trade that includes, and is not limited to, prisons, city, county, state or federal correctional facilities or organisations that purchase on behalf of these types of facilities regardless of the class of trade," the spokesperson added.
According to a media report, the Arkansas Department of Correction purchased three drugs, including one of Sun Pharma, which were enough to perform eight executions.
As per the Associated Press report, the drug from Sun Pharma was vercuronium bromide, a paralytic and muscle relaxant.
The other two companies whose products were purchased for the executions are Hospira Inc and London-based Hikma Pharmaceuticals, the report added.

"A new law allows the state to keep the source of its execution drugs a secret," the report said quoting a spokesperson for the Department of Correction, who added that law prohibited the state from giving information even to drug makers.