KIRKLAND, Wash. — In a nondescript business park east of Seattle, a startup pharmacy raced to meet surging demand for weight-loss medications.
But according to multiple whistleblowers and internal videos, the operation cut dangerous corners in its pursuit of profit.
The company, Aequita, manufactured off-brand versions of blockbuster GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro at a fraction of the cost. As orders poured in from across the United States, the small Kirkland facility struggled to keep up. Operations manager James Lindsay had a solution to the manpower shortage, one that would trigger a state investigation and raise serious questions about patient safety…