On 17 September 2025, the pharmacy of the Istituto Pascale in Naples was raided and life-saving and experimental oncology medicines worth more than €822,000 were stolen.
The case returned to public attention with precautionary measures reported against two men and the investigation of a security guard, in a theft that the hospital's leadership described as both an economic loss for the national health service and a serious threat to oncology research and patient-care resources.
The investigation and precautionary measures do not establish final criminal responsibility.
What was taken and why it matters
The stolen stock included experimental drugs containing molecules not yet commercially available, alongside other life-saving oncology medicines. The reported value was more than €822,000.
The Pascale's director general described the theft as an economic loss for the national health service and a serious threat to oncology research and patient-care resources.
The available sources do not provide a complete list of the stolen medicines or their individual values.
What investigators say happened
According to the reported reconstruction, the alarm was disabled at 18:57 from the security post and reactivated 28 minutes later, at 19:25.
The reported sequence involved forced entry into the pharmacy and the removal of medicines in bags.
Investigators used surveillance footage, witness accounts and ambient interceptions to reconstruct the raid.
Where the case stands
Two people were subject to precautionary measures: Ciro Sacchettino was sent to prison and Salvatore Abbruzzo was placed under house arrest.
Another security guard, Giuseppe Esposito, was investigated, while possible additional accomplices were still being sought.
The identity and role of every suspected accomplice remain unresolved in the material available. The sources also do not establish whether all stolen medicines were recovered, nor do they report a final judicial outcome or confirmed institutional security changes.
