BERLIN: German pharmaceutical group Fresenius said Thursday it has restricted exports of propofol -- the drug that killed Michael Jackson -- after a US state said it wanted to use it for executions.
Fresenius has cut from 30 to "less than 15" its distribution partners in the United States in a bid to have more control over the anaesthetic, a company spokesman told AFP.
In addition, firms receiving the drug must commit "not to deliver (the product) to prisons, prison authorities or prison hospitals" or they risk being banned from imports, the spokesman added.
An overdose of propofol, a powerful anaesthetic, was responsible for the death of pop star Jackson in June 2009.
The US state of Missouri said in May it wanted to use the drug for lethal injections, but campaigners said it could induce severe pain.
Lethal injections usually consist of a combination of three drugs, including sodium thiopental, but Missouri said this drug was no longer available because of domestic shortages.
Missouri last executed someone in February 2011 for the kidnap, rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl. It was the state's first execution in two years and its second since late 2005.
Investors cheered the news, with Fresenius one of the top gainers on the DAX index of leading German shares.
Fresenius stock was up 0.73 percent in early afternoon trade while the broader market was down 0.33 percent.
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