The Paraguayan Prosecutor's Office has charged four directors of the pharmaceutical laboratory Indufar CISA with alleged fraud, breach of trust, and criminal association. The criminal action, filed by prosecutor Natalia Montanía of Hernandarias and admitted by Judge Nelio Prieto of Ciudad del Este, accuses executives Óscar Humberto Simón Palmerola, Cynthia Montserrat Ríos Villagra, Darío Alejandro Zanin, and José Luis Rodríguez of violating commercial agreements to appropriate the formula and market for the drug tirzepatide.
According to the Public Ministry, the company Bem Estar Clínica SA allegedly provided confidential information and the master formula for the product to Indufar in November 2024, under a confidentiality agreement and an exclusive distribution contract signed in June 2025. However, after accessing Bem Estar's purchasing plan and market projections, the pharmaceutical company allegedly drastically cut the supply of the medication in July 2025, citing "production adjustments," leaving the clinic without a regular supply for nearly six months.
While Bem Estar faced the supply shortage, Indufar allegedly diverted production to supply a network of pharmacies linked to its directors, including Farmanext, Farmawell, Farmácia do Sul, Farmacon, and Farmafoz. The prosecution also alleges that the directors deliberately frustrated the health registration of the drug with the National Directorate of Veterinary Surveillance (Dinavisa) for Bem Estar's brand Lipofarbil, concentrating production on Indufar's own TG brand. The alleged financial damage to the clinic was estimated at approximately $4 million.
In response, the directors' defense, represented by attorney Bettina Legal Balmaceda, labeled the charges as a "garrote" and stated that this is a strictly commercial, not criminal, conflict. The defense argues that a notarized termination agreement from June 2025, in which Bem Estar allegedly received $150,000 and waived future claims, was not considered in the investigation. They also highlight that the Civil Court has already fully rejected precautionary measures and a $62.5 million indemnity request from the same complainant, in addition to there being a mandatory arbitration clause in the contract that was not activated.
A preliminary hearing for the accused is scheduled for July 29, while Indufar states it is maintaining normal operations and its directors remain available to the courts to exercise their right to defense.