Argentina is reeling after close to 100 hospital patients died following treatment with contaminated medical-use fentanyl. First reported in May, the deaths—at least 87 but possibly as many as 96, per the Guardian—have been traced to fentanyl batches supplied by HLB Pharma and produced at Laboratorio Ramallo. Lab tests performed by Argentina's drug regulator found multidrug-resistant bacteria, including Klebsiella pneumoniae and Ralstonia pickettii, both in the patients and in sealed vials from two suspect fentanyl batches.
Authorities estimate more than 300,000 vials were distributed across Buenos Aires province and several other regions, with about 45,000 given to patients before the recall. Victims had been hospitalized for various reasons, receiving fentanyl for pain or as an anesthetic, then quickly developed severe infections. "Argentina has never experienced such a serious case," said a lawyer representing some families. A federal judge leading the investigation says contaminated vials are no longer in circulation, though the number of deaths continues to rise as more cases are reviewed.
HLB Pharma's owner denied responsibility and suggested the contamination could have been deliberate sabotage, insisting his company initiated the recall. No one has been charged, but 24 people tied to the manufacturing and distribution of the drug are under investigation and barred from leaving the country, per the Buenos Aires Herald. The probe is focused on how the contaminated batches were produced and whether adequate quality checks were in place.
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