The medicines regulator is investigating the case of a bogus pharmacist who obtained a large quantity of slimming pills and funding from a pharmaceutical company.
Robin Huxley, a salesman from Barnsley, was jailed for 14 months for illegally prescribing the slimming medication Xenical.
Roche, the company that manufactures Xenical, said it believed Huxley was a pharmacist who worked alongside a doctor in a chain of slimming clinics. The company claims to have been the victim of a deception, but a former employee claims that concerns were raised about its practices of dealing directly with slimming clinics.
Dr Ryta Kuzel, the former head of regulatory affairs at Roche, said: "I feel strongly Roche's business practices have put people's lives at risk and they haven't been called to account."
In a statement, Roche said: "We checked the GMC number of the doctor. We had no reason to believe the pharmacist was not legitimate nor had any reasons to check his credentials.
"Companies can sell prescription-only medicines to practices as long as there's a healthcare professional who can prescribe."
Dr Kuzel also knew that Roche had long concerns about Huxley. At one point Huxley was the biggest buyer of Xenical outside the NHS, earning the company £1 million in sales.
But far from intervening when concerns were raised, Roche decided instead to invest and help expand Huxley's slimming business, according to a report by a Roche employee.
The report said: "I would advise against closing down the trading terms. I feel we may be sacrificing sales just because we are scared of the potential of the private sector.
"Rob does have plans to expand to other clinics and on the face of it this seems to be in the interest of Roche."
Two investigations are underway, by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Roche says it is cooperating with both and that there has never been any suggestion of wrong-doing on Roche's part.
Robin Huxley, a salesman from Barnsley, was jailed for 14 months for illegally prescribing the slimming medication Xenical.
Roche, the company that manufactures Xenical, said it believed Huxley was a pharmacist who worked alongside a doctor in a chain of slimming clinics. The company claims to have been the victim of a deception, but a former employee claims that concerns were raised about its practices of dealing directly with slimming clinics.
Dr Ryta Kuzel, the former head of regulatory affairs at Roche, said: "I feel strongly Roche's business practices have put people's lives at risk and they haven't been called to account."
In a statement, Roche said: "We checked the GMC number of the doctor. We had no reason to believe the pharmacist was not legitimate nor had any reasons to check his credentials.
"Companies can sell prescription-only medicines to practices as long as there's a healthcare professional who can prescribe."
Dr Kuzel also knew that Roche had long concerns about Huxley. At one point Huxley was the biggest buyer of Xenical outside the NHS, earning the company £1 million in sales.
But far from intervening when concerns were raised, Roche decided instead to invest and help expand Huxley's slimming business, according to a report by a Roche employee.
The report said: "I would advise against closing down the trading terms. I feel we may be sacrificing sales just because we are scared of the potential of the private sector.
"Rob does have plans to expand to other clinics and on the face of it this seems to be in the interest of Roche."
Two investigations are underway, by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Roche says it is cooperating with both and that there has never been any suggestion of wrong-doing on Roche's part.
