Two former public officials who were in charge of drug regulation offices were arrested as part of the high-profile case investigating batches of contaminated medical-use fentanyl that caused the death of over 90 patients and affected 41 others.

Nélida Bisio, who led Argentine food and drug regulator ANMAT between late 2023 and early 2026, and former head of the National Institute of Medicines Gabriela Mantecón Fumadó, were arrested by the Federal Police on Tuesday under orders of La Plata Judge Ernesto Kreplak.

Kreplak is expected to question Bisio and Mantecón Fumadó on Wednesday.

The arrests of Bisio and Mantecón Fumadó were requested by prosecutors María Laura Roteta and Sergio Rodríguez, who argued that the former public officials were responsible for covering up the history of noncompliance and irregularities regarding good manufacturing practices of the laboratories that produced the drug.

The prosecutors said that there was a “state-sponsored cover-up that allowed the laboratories to continue their production activities under appalling quality conditions,” leading to the contamination of the batches of the synthetic opioid, according........

© Buenos Aires Herald