As the U.S. Supreme Court weighs Oklahoma’s use of a controversial sedative for lethal injection, a manufacturer is trying to put a stop to its use.
Illinois-based company Akorn manufactures the sedative midazolam, which has been used in Oklahoma’s last two executions, as well as a form of hydromorphone that can also be used for lethal injections.
The company sent Attorney General Scott Pruitt a letter in March just released by news outlet Oklahoma Watch. The company’s attorney has asked the state to return any drugs purchased for executions for a full refund, noting their use in capital punishment contradicts FDA-approved uses and may violate the Controlled Substances Act.
In a statement, Pruitt spokesman Aaron Cooper said manufacturers are being pressured by anti-death penalty activists, and the attorney general will defend the state’s ability to carry out lethal inejctions.
Despite lower-court approval, there’s doubt midazolam can keep inmates unconscious when the drugs that stop their breathing and their hearts are administered.