Secaucus-Based Pharma Executive Facing Prison Time

SECAUCUS, NJ — A business executive who works at a pharmaceutical company in Secaucus admitted to lying to the Food & Drug Administration to gain control of the rights to sell a weight-loss drug in the United States, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced Friday.

The weight loss drug is Sanorex.

The pharmaceutical company is Hexim Pharmaceuticals, headquartered at 600 Meadowlands Parkway in Secaucus. Hexim was previously known as Alkopharma USA Inc.

The man who worked there is Alain Bouaziz, 69, a French citizen and resident of the United Arab Emirates.

This week, Bouaziz pleaded guilty in Newark federal court to count of making false statements to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

According to federal prosecutors, Bouaziz represented himself to be the chief operating officer of the company.

Beginning in February 2018, he submitted forged documents and made false statements to the FDA to try to fraudulently gain control of Sanorex, a weight-loss pharmaceutical owned by a major international pharmaceutical company. Bouaziz sent letters and documents by email and in hard copy to the FDA falsely stating that Hexim had purchased what's known as a "new drug application" for Sanorex and requesting a meeting about marketing Sanorex in the United States.

These representations were false because neither Hexim nor Alkopharma owned the rights to distribute Sanorex, said federal prosecutors.

He is facing up to five years in prison.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the FDA. You can read the federal case against Bouaziz here: https://content.govdelivery.co...