# Portugal Zolgensma medication legal case

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/portugal-zolgensma-medication-legal-case
> Updated: 2026-09-30T21:29:54.000Z. Sources: 36. Developments: 2.

The Portuguese Public Ministry has filed charges against four individuals regarding the 2019 administration of the high-cost medication Zolgensma to Luso-Brazilian twins at Lisbon’s Hospital de Santa Maria.

The accused include former Secretary of State for Health António Lacerda Sales, Nuno Rebelo de Sousa, former clinical director Luís Pinheiro, and the twins’ mother, Daniela Martins. Lacerda Sales, Rebelo de Sousa, and Pinheiro face charges of prevarication and abuse of power, while Martins faces charges of qualified fraud. The prosecution alleges the group used their positions to influence the administration of the drug.

Recent investigations by the Public Ministry have uncovered WhatsApp messages suggesting Lacerda Sales facilitated requests from various public figures and members of the Socialist Party to the hospital's clinical director, Luís Pinheiro. Among those mentioned is presenter Rita Ferro Rodrigues, who denies seeking improper favors, stating her contact with Lacerda Sales was a legitimate attempt to ensure “dignified palliative care for a terminal friend.”

In response to the charges, several figures have offered defenses. Former Health Minister Marta Temido stated she believes there was no intention of favoritism, but rather an attempt to “resolve a human problem.” Daniela Martins denied any irregularities, asserting that funds in her account came from a Brazilian crowdfunding campaign and that all requests for support from Portuguese institutions were legitimate.

## Claims

- Rita Ferro Rodrigues denies seeking privileged treatment for a friend, stating she only sought dignified care for a terminal patient. (single source)
- António Lacerda Sales is accused of prevarication and abuse of power regarding the administration of Zolgensma to Luso-Brazilian twins. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-09-30: António Lacerda Sales accused of abuse of power in medical case

Former Portuguese Health Secretary António Lacerda Sales faces accusations of abuse of power regarding medical treatment for twins, amid claims of facilitating requests for public figures.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/antnio-lacerda-sales-defended-by-former-officials-in-medical-treatment-case

### 2026-09-28: Portugal Public Ministry charges four in Zolgensma medication case

Portugal's Public Ministry has charged four people, including former Health Secretary António Lacerda Sales, in a case involving the irregular administration of the medication Zolgensma in 2019.

36 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/portugal-charges-four-in-zolgensma-treatment-case

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Cite as: Portugal Zolgensma medication legal case. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/portugal-zolgensma-medication-legal-case