(CNN) The convictions of four former top executives of Insys Therapeutics, an Arizona-based pharmaceutical company which made the powerful opioid Subsys, have been partially overturned by a federal judge in Boston. Two of the four convictions of Insys founder John Kapoor and three other former executives were thrown out by US District Court Judge Allison Burroughs in a ruling TuesdayBurroughs overturned convictions for alleged violations of the Controlled Substances Act and for alleged honest services fraud arising from the executives' part in marketing and selling Subsys. The drug is a highly addictive synthetic opioid that was intended to manage cancer pain. Judge Burroughs called the conduct of the pharmaceutical company and the defendants "reprehensible," saying they tried to "financially incentivize" doctors to prescribe Subsys without regard for their patients' health. However, she found that the government failed to prove key elements needed for conviction of Kapoor and three other former colleagues -- Richard Simon, Sunrise Lee, and Joseph Rowan.

Source: CNN November 28, 2019 22:27 UTC