Investigated for bid rigging in clinical trial investigation
The Lombard General Manager of Health Carlo Lucchina, also appointed president of the Price and Reimbursement Committee of the regulatory body on Italian medicines a few days ago, has already resigned from AIFA following his registration in the register of suspects for an alleged auction rigging as part of the investigation coordinated by the Milan Public Prosecutor's Office into alleged agreements between private companies and public officials to build 'tailor-made' regional tenders for the experimentation of high-tech scientific equipment.
The news comes from the Minister of Health, Renato Balduzzi, on the occasion of the presentation of the Italia Longeva network in Ancona. "No embarrassment – added the minister – because in accordance with his style, Dr. Lucchina resigned as soon as he received the news of this investigation. The real problem will be to find a replacement person who has the same technical skills as you" .
From the general manager of Aifa, Luca Pani, questioned by journalists in Rome shortly before Lucchina's resignation on the sidelines of the Assobiotec assembly, a "no comment" on the matter. For its part, Farmindustria, on the other hand, says it is "certain that the Minister of Health will find the right solutions so that AIFA can be allowed to continue carrying out its activity in the interest of patients' health in the short term".
June 15, 2012 – Barbara Di Chiara – PharmaKronos
Lombard health: 28 suspects including DG Carlo Lucchina
Lombard health still in the storm: twenty-eight people under investigation, including the director general of health Charles Lucchina, the medical directors of the four hospitals targeted – Niguarda of Milan, Lecco, Busto Arsizio and Saronno – and managers of private companies, including General Electric, against which they are
