Former Serono medical director fined $150,000

A former medical director for Serono Laboratories Inc., Dr. Norma Muurahainen, was sentenced to one year of probation and fined $150,000 after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges related to allegations she helped distribute medical software to diagnose AIDS wasting without approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

Though other employees were involved, the US Justice Department alleged Muurahainen, 56, of Hull had the power to stop the shipments, but did not.

Serono previously agreed to pay $704 million to resolve criminal charges that it was involved in several illegal schemes to promote Serostim, a drug used to treat AIDS wasting.

The company is now part of EMD Serono Inc., based in Rockland.
(By Todd Wallack, Globe staff)