Utah Cancer Treatment Center and Clinic Owner Plead Guilty to Buying from Counterfeit Drug Supplier QSP

In April 2015, Dr. Ali Ben-Jacob pleaded guilty to importing misbranded cancer medication from CanadaDrugs subsidiary Quality Specialty Products (QSP). His Cache Valley Cancer Treatment and Research Clinic also pleaded guilty to purchasing the misbranded cancer drugs and resolved a civil claim with the Department of Justice brought on behalf of the FDA and federal government programs.

Who: FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations, with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General’s Office of Investigations; the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Criminal Investigative Services; and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

When: April 7, 2015, September 2009- September 2015.

Where: Logan, Utah

How: Investigation by FDA-OCI

Additional details: Dr. Ben-Jacob purchased many different cancer drugs from QSP, including Abraxane, Aloxi, Gemzar, Anzemet, Camptosar, Eloxatin, Faslodex, Herceptin, Mabthera, Neupogen, Taxotere, Velcade, and Zometa. None of the medications he purchased were FDA-approved.

Related sources:

Logan cancer clinic fined $175k over ‘misbranded’ drugs,”
Cache Valley Daily, April 11, 2015

Logan cancer-treatment clinic fined for using ‘misbranded’ drugs,” HJnews.com, April 10, 2015

Cache Valley Cancer Treatment And Research Clinic Pleads Guilty To Misdemeanor Information Involving Receipt And Delivery Of Misbranded Drugs,” DOJ, April 7, 2015

Re: Purchasing Medications from Foreign or Unlicensed Suppliers Could Result in Serious Harm to Patients ,” FDA Warning Letter, June 28, 2012