Drug firm now says it bought 7,500 glands

THE number of deceased patients whose pituitary glands were supplied to a Danish pharmaceutical firm was three times greater than revealed earlier this week.

Novo Nordisk said yesterday it was supplied with 7,500 glands from hospitals over a 10-year period rather than the 2,500 it had earlier said it received.

A typing error in a briefing document prepared for a response to media queries was blamed for the mistake. The figure of 32 given for the number of hospitals which provided glands was correct.