Charges filed against Florida drug wholesalers

On Monday a Florida grand jury investigating pharmaceutical wholesalers indicted 19 people on charges of peddling bogus or watered down medications, including drugs used by HIV-positive adults. The charges involve drugs such as Neupogen, which is often prescribed for cancer and HIV patients; Gammagard, for HIV patients; and Epogen, for patients with cancer, AIDS, or kidney failure. Investigators said the defendants made millions of dollars from the scheme. No patient deaths have been linked to the ineffective drugs, but state health officials say ill patients did receive the fake or weakened medications. Each felony count carries a possible sentence of between five and 30 years in prison.