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India Today
4 days ago
- Health
- India Today
At least 96 dead after receiving contaminated medical fentanyl in Argentina
Argentina is facing one of its most serious pharmaceutical scandals in decades, with up to 96 people reported dead after receiving hospital treatment with medical fentanyl contaminated by dangerous bacteria, according to The official death toll remains at 87. However, the Buenos Aires Herald reported that nine additional deaths are being examined to determine whether they are linked to the tainted TRACED TO MEDICAL FENTANYLThe crisis first came to light in May when dozens of patients in hospitals developed severe bacterial infections shortly after being administered fentanyl for pain relief or anaesthesia. Medical tests revealed the presence of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Ralstonia pickettii -- strains that, in several cases, were resistant to multiple traced the contamination to batches of fentanyl produced by pharmaceutical company HLB Pharma and its laboratory partner, Laboratorio Ramallo as reported by The drug regulator, Anmat, confirmed the presence of bacterial contamination both in samples taken from deceased patients and in ampoules from two specific fentanyl batches. One of these had been "widely circulated," federal judge Ernesto Kreplak, who is leading the investigation, told local DENIES DIRECT RESPONSIBILITYAriel Garca Furfaro, owner of HLB Pharma, rejected claims that the deaths could be directly linked to his company's product. In an interview with La Nación, he said the firm had voluntarily pulled the fentanyl from the market and suggested the contamination may have been deliberate contaminated medication was reportedly distributed to hospitals in Buenos Aires province, Santa Fe, Córdoba, Formosa and Buenos Aires city. Authorities believe more than 300,000 ampoules may have been affected, with approximately 45,000 administered before the rest were recalled and who received the contaminated fentanyl had been hospitalised for unrelated medical conditions but rapidly deteriorated after infection with the multidrug-resistant the contaminated batches have been recalled, new cases linked to the fentanyl continue to criminal charges have yet been filed, but 24 individuals connected to the manufacture and distribution of the fentanyl have been named as suspects. The court has imposed travel bans on them and frozen their IS THE MEDICAL USE OF FENTANYL?Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid approved for pain management and anaesthesia, is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. In this case, the contamination -- rather than the drug's chemical properties -- is blamed for the deaths, making it one of the most smost serious drug contamination incidents in Argentina's history.- Ends
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
At least 87 people die in Argentina after being treated with medical-use fentanyl tainted with bacteria: Reports
At least 87 people have died in Argentina after being treated with medical-use fentanyl that was tainted with bacteria, reports said. According to Buenos Aires Herald, the investigation started in May, when the first nine people were confirmed to have died of an infection caused by fentanyl produced by pharmaceutical company HLB Pharma and its laboratory Laboratorio Ramallo. Since then, La Plata Federal Judge Ernesto Kreplak, from the Buenos Aires province judiciary, has been leading an investigation to trace the full number of victims and those responsible. Argentine food and drug regulator ANMAT, Buenos Aires Herald added, ordered all health centers in Argentina to stop using their fentanyl batch, and ordered the companies to halt all production. Last week, a media outlet reported that HLB Pharma had been authorized to purchase certificates to manufacture medicines. However, ANMAT refuted the article in a communiqué and stressed that the laboratory 'cannot carry out any activity related to the manufacture, fractionation, import, export, distribution, or marketing of medical or pharmaceutical products.' The Guardian reported that in an interview with La Nación, the owner of HLB Pharma, Ariel García Furfaro, denied that the deaths could be directly attributed to his product, said his company pulled it from the market itself, and claimed that if the ampoules were contaminated, someone had 'planted' the contaminant. The patients had been hospitalised for unrelated conditions and were given the drug for pain relief or anaesthetic, before becoming infected with the multidrug-resistant bacteria. No charges have yet been filed, but the court has named 24 people involved in the manufacture and sale of the opioid as suspects. They have been banned from leaving the country and had their assets frozen, The Guardian report said.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Argentine President Milei Cleared of Misconduct Over LIBRA Promotion: Report
Argentine President Javier Milei was cleared of wrongdoing over his promotion of the LIBRA memecoin in February, the Buenos Aires Herald reported on Saturday. A resolution issued Friday by the country's anti-corruption office argued that the president was speaking "as an economist and not a public official," when he shared news of LIBRA on X. The president's personal account "was created long before he was elected country president, and even before the beginning of his previous term as deputy," according to the resolution, signed by Alejandro Melik, the head of the country's anti-corruption office. Milei's post about the Solana-based memecoin promoted it as a project designed to help small and medium-sized Argentine companies raise capital. LIBRA surged to a market capitalization of around $4.5 billion. He deleted the post only hours later, saying that he had not been aware of the details of the project when he promoted it. In the ensuing sell-off, LIBRA crashed by 90%, wiping out over $4 billion in value. On-chain data from Nansen showed that 86% of traders lost a total of $251 million, with the remainder securing $180 million in profits. To make matters worse, it was revealed Libra's co-creator Hayden Davis bragged in text messages about his influence over Milei because of payments he had been making to Karina Milei, the president's sister and a powerful figure in his government.
Newsweek
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
What Does Eternaut Mean? Breaking Down Netflix's Latest Sci-Fi Series
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Netflix's new series The Eternaut has introduced a haunting vision of survival and resistance to international viewers, marking a milestone for Latin American science fiction on the global stage. The six-episode series, based on the iconic Argentine comic El Eternauta, debuted April 30, and quickly became a popular non-English language show on the platform. Set in Buenos Aires, The Eternaut follows Juan Salvo and a group of survivors as they battle a mysterious snowfall that kills on contact. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that the snowstorm is only the beginning of a much larger extraterrestrial invasion, transforming the streets of the Argentine capital into a war zone. The Context Originally written in 1957 by Héctor Germán Oesterheld and illustrated by Francisco Solano López, El Eternauta holds a powerful place in Argentine culture, known for its themes of resistance, solidarity, and survival under authoritarianism. The comic is often read as a political allegory, particularly resonant due to the author's disappearance under Argentina's last military dictatorship, according to the Buenos Aires Herald. "It is not the first time that we have made a big production, but this was the first big one based on Argentinian intellectual property," producer Matías Mosteirin from K&S Productions told Deadline. "We couldn't fail because it's a property with a very strong fandom and it was a great treasure for us as artists." What To Know The cast is led by award-winning actor Ricardo Darín who portrays Salvo. Other key cast members include Carla Peterson, Andrea Pietra, and César Troncoso. The series was created and directed by Bruno Stagnaro. The series is presented in Spanish, maintaining the language of its source material and reinforcing its cultural specificity. The series received a 94 percent Certified Fresh score from Rotten Tomatoes. What Does "Eternaut" Mean in English? The word "eternaut" blends "eternity" and "astronaut" to evoke the idea of a timeless traveler. "Eternity" stems from the Latin word aeternus, meaning everlasting, while the suffix "-naut" originates from the Greek word nautes (sailor), as seen in "astronaut," which combines astron (star) and nautes, ScreenRant reported. Although The Eternaut does not involve space exploration, the title suggests a figure journeying endlessly across time and existential dimensions. Where Was 'The Eternaut' Filmed? The Eternaut was filmed in Buenos Aires. According to Moviedelic, the production team utilized 35 real-world locations spanning three regions, along with 25 virtual sets, to craft immersive environments that captured the series' post-apocalyptic atmosphere. The decision to film in the Argentine capital helps ground the series in its cultural context and preserves the geographic authenticity of the original narrative. Will There Be a Season 2 of 'The Eternaut?' Yes. Netflix has officially confirmed that The Eternaut will return for a second and final season. The follow-up will include eight episodes and aims to conclude the adaptation of the original comic book storyline. According to Deadline, the second season will expand on the sci-fi themes introduced in the first and delve deeper into the alien conflict and its implications for humanity. "We can sustain it for a second season, but no more than that," Mosteirin told Deadline. "We feel that, artistically, that is the cycle to we need to sustain the mystique and the adventure of making the show. We want to challenge ourselves in the second season just as we challenged ourselves in the first one. We want to go for more, technically and creatively. We want to use all the knowledge we gained to do things on the second season that we didn't manage to do on the first." What People Are Saying Series creator and director Bruno Stagnaro told Netflix's Tudum: "[The Eternaut] was one of the first things I read in full in my life, when I was 10 years old. My approach to the adaptation will be to be faithful to that child reader who came across the story for the first time, to try to reconstruct the genuine emotion of living an adventure on the corner of your neighborhood, and the construction of that great Argentine hero that is Juan Salvo." X, formerly Twitter, user @darthmorley posted about the show on Sunday: "Just finished watching the first season of The Eternaut on Netflix. An Argentinian (yes, Argentinian) sci-fi show based on an old comic from the late 1950s. All I can say is wow! Fantastic story, characters & production. Can't wait for season two!"
