Sudafed capsules sent abroad

Executive Summary

Burroughs Wellcome has been granted permission by a Washington State federal judge to export Sudafed capsules that were not in distribution at the time the product was recalled in March following two deaths from cyanide poisoning ("The Pink Sheet" March 11, p. 14). Approximately 28 mil. bulk capsules will be distributed by international Wellcome subsidiaries, which still market the capsules outside the U.S. About 350,000 boxes of packaged Sudafed capsules will be donated to relief organizations outside the U.S. The 1.8 mil. packages collected in the recall will be stored by the company until the FBI has completed its investigation into the tamperings. Burroughs Wellcome had asked if it could destroy the packages of recalled product for space considerations; that request was denied.