Akorn To Cease Supply Of Drugs For Use In Lethal Injection Executions

Specialty drugs company Akorn Inc. said Wednesday it has adopted a new policy of using its products only to promote human health and wellness, and will no longer supply midazolam and hydromorphone hydrochloride to prisons to be used in executions by lethal injection. "To prevent the use of our products in capital punishment, Akorn will not sell any product directly to any prison or other correctional institution and we will restrict the sale of known components of lethal injection protocols to a select group of wholesalers who agree to use their best efforts to keep these products out of correctional institutions," the company said in a statement. Midazolam is a sedative, that reduces signaling of nerves, and can be used to manage epileptic seizures. Hydromorphone is a morphine-based painkiller. The company said it is seeking the return of those products from prisons and has sent a letter to the attorneys general of those states that still have the death penalty. Shares were not yet active in premarket trade, but have gained 25.6% in the last three months, while the S&P 500 has gained 1.7%.