Andrulis Pharmaceuticals

Andrulis Pharmaceuticals was a Maryland-based pharmaceutical company that gained significant attention in the 1990s for its efforts to repurpose thalidomide. The company developed thalidomide under the brand name Synovir, specifically targeting the treatment of painful aphthous ulcers in patients with HIV/AIDS. However, the company's reputation was permanently tarnished by a high-profile fraud scandal involving an experimental drug called Ancer, which was promoted as a breakthrough treatment for cancer and AIDS. In 2003, the company's founder and CEO, Peter Andrulis Jr., was convicted of fraud for misrepresenting clinical trial data and the regulatory status of Ancer to investors. Following these legal battles and the subsequent imprisonment of its leadership, the company ceased operations and is now defunct.