By Michael Sauerbier
Thousands of cancer patients in Berlin and Brandenburg lived in fear of death for months: The scandal surrounding counterfeit cancer drugs cost Brandenburg’s Health Minister Diana Golze (48, Left) her office in 2018. Now the head of the pharmaceutical retailer Lunapharm has spoken out in court.
Self-made entrepreneur Susanne Krautz-Zeitel (56) presses the dock with a bitter expression. The accusation: Your company Lunapharm (“25-30 million euros in sales, 30-40% profit”) imported expensive medicines from a Greek pharmacy without a wholesale license – disguised through a company from Cyprus. This is why the cancer medicines are considered “counterfeit”.
There is nothing left of the “Lunapharm scandal” that shocked Germany five years ago. The rbb magazine “Kontraste” had scared thousands of cancer patients to death with a TV report: The vital medicines had been stolen from Athens clinics and were probably ineffective due to improper storage.
Lunapharm bought the cancer drugs “Velcade” (photo), “Neulasta” and “Cytiga” cheaply in Greece – and bought them here at a higher price Photo: .
The examination of 39 samples later showed: All the medicines were okay! But Minister Golze did not want to take responsibility for the failure of her medication supervision, so she had to leave. The state health department did not respond to warnings and allowed Lunapharm to continue dealing.
Krautz-Zeitel also sees herself as a victim of the rbb report. “The authorities therefore revoked my trading license,” she said in court. “Since then, I have practically been banned from working and live off my husband.” She was “convinced that I had not behaved unlawfully. There was no forgery or deception here.”
In 2017, Golze’s health department informed them about the Athens pharmacy’s lack of a trading license. That’s why she switched to the Cyprus company. She doesn’t know where she got her medication from: “It was handed over to us in Mahlow.” In fact, the medication came from the pharmacy in Athens.
Lunapharm boss Susanne Krautz-Zeitel in the Potsdam district court Photo: dpa
A worthwhile deal: Krautz-Zeitel made more than a million euros in sales with the Greek medicines, and a profit of almost 400,000 euros. Everything secured. But the co-accused Greek pharmacist (75) is missing because he is unable to stand trial, as is the Cyprus dealer. The verdict in March 2024 will show whether the court believes the Lunapharm boss’s claim of innocence.