Drug Firm President Asks Florida Governor Not to Use Pentobarbital in Execution

The president of drug manufacturer Lundbeck has asked Florida Gov. Rick Scott not to use one of its untested products in the execution of Manuel Valle, scheduled for today, according to a UPI report.

Pentobarbital, the barbiturate used last week as part of the lethal drug mix injection that killed convicted murderer Troy Davis, has not been proven in clinical tests to produce the desired result or effect "outside of the approved labeling," according to Lundbeck President Staffan Schuberg.

Mr. Schuberg said he was adamantly opposed to Florida using the sedative and anti-seizure medicine in the execution of Mr. Valle, who was convicted of killing a Coral Gables, Fla., police officer 33 years ago.

The execution would be Florida's first use of the drug as the first of three drugs administered during a lethal injection. Some physicians say pentobarbital could inflict extreme suffering on those sentenced to death.

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