Court Enjoins California Company from Manufacturing and Distributing Adulterated Sterile Animal Drugs

A federal court enjoined a California company from distributing adulterated sterile animal drugs in violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), the Department of Justice announced.

In a complaint filed on Oct. 27, 2020 in the Central District of California, the United States alleged that multiple inspections by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) repeatedly showed that Med-Pharmex Inc. (MPX) manufactured and distributed animal drugs under conditions that fell short of the minimum regulatory requirements to ensure safety and quality, including a failure to maintain sterility. According to the complaint, the FDA issued a warning letter to MPX in 2017 regarding numerous deficiencies found at the company. The complaint further alleged that the company failed to adequately investigate reports regarding the death or illness of animals receiving certain MPX drugs, and failed to properly clean and disinfect areas used to manufacture sterile drugs, as required by the FDCA. MPX and company president Gerald P. Macedo agreed to settle the suit and to be bound by a consent decree of permanent injunction that resolves the case.