skip to content

Galea, Anthony Michael

CPSO#: 56971

MEMBER STATUS
Active Member as of 06 Sep 2018
CURRENT OR PAST CPSO REGISTRATION CLASS
Independent Practice as of 29 Jun 1987

Summary

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum ac diam sit amet quam vehicula elementum sed sit amet dui. Vivamus suscipit tortor eget felis porttitor volutpat. Curabitur non nulla sit amet nisl tempus convallis quis ac lectus. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Vivamus suscipit tortor eget felis porttitor volutpat. Curabitur arcu erat, accumsan id imperdiet et, porttitor at sem. Vestibulum ac diam sit amet quam vehicula elementum sed sit amet dui. Donec sollicitudin molestie malesuada. Pellentesque in ipsum id orci porta dapibus.

Former Name: No Former Name

Gender: Male

Languages Spoken: English, Maltese

Education: McMaster University, 1986

Practice Information

Primary Location of Practice
Institute of Human Mechanics
199 Avenue Road
Toronto ON  M5R 2J3
Phone: (416) 620-6861
Fax: (416) 620-9774 Electoral District: 10

Additional Practice Location(s)

Institute of Human Mechanics
230 Browns Line
Etobicoke ON  M8W 3T4
Canada
Phone: 416 6206861
Fax: 416 620 9774
County: City of Toronto
Electoral District: 10

Professional Corporation Information


Corporation Name: Dr. Anthony Galea Medicine Professional Corporation
Certificate of Authorization Status: Issued Date:  Mar 27 2013

Shareholders:
Dr. A. Galea ( CPSO# 56971 )

Business Address:
230 Brown's Line
Etobicoke ON  M8W 3T4
Phone Number: (416) 620-6861

Specialties

Specialty Issued On Type
No Speciality Reported

Terms and Conditions

(1) Dr. ANTHONY MICHAEL GALEA may practise only in the areas of medicine in which Dr. GALEA is educated and experienced.

Registration History

Action Issue Date
First certificate of registration issued: Postgraduate Education Certificate Effective: 16 Jun 1986
Transfer of class of registration to: Independent Practice Certificate Effective: 29 Jun 1987
Suspension of registration imposed: Discipline Committee Effective: 06 Dec 2017
Suspension of registration removed Effective: 06 Sep 2018

Previous Hearings

Committee: Discipline
Decision Date: 24 Oct 2016
Summary:

On October 24, 2016, the Discipline Committee of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario found that Dr. Anthony Michael Galea committed an act of professional misconduct in that he has been found guilty of an offence relevant to his suitability to practise and he engaged in an act or omission relevant to the practise of medicine that, having regard to all the circumstances, would reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable, or unprofessional.

On July 6, 2011, Dr. Galea, a sports medicine physician, pleaded guilty and was convicted by the U.S District Court for the Western District of New York for introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce with intent to mislead an Agency.

Between February 2007 and September 2009, Dr. Galea lived and was a physician licensed to practice medicine in Ontario. He was not licensed to practice medicine in the United States. Dr. Galea operated a medical practice in Etobicoke known as the Institute of Sports Medicine Health and Wellness Centre (ISM).

Dr. Galea traveled from Canada to the United States on numerous occasions to treat patients there, knowing he was not licenced to practice anywhere in the United States. Sometimes Dr. Galea was accompanied by an ISM employee to assist him; sometimes he and the employee traveled separately and Dr. Galea met the employee in the United States; and on other occasions
Dr. Galea traveled to the United States alone and treated patients in the United States without the employee being present.

Dr. Galea treated professional athletes in the U.S., including players on National Football League and Major League Baseball teams.

On numerous occasions, Dr. Galea and the employee entered the U.S. at the Peace Bridge Port of Entry in Buffalo, New York. Other times, Dr. Galea flew from Toronto to various American cities. On some occasions, Dr. Galea traveled within the United States to different places to provide medical treatments to professional athletes.

When Dr. Galea and the employee traveled separately to the United States, the employee carried medical supplies based upon a checklist she prepared based on Dr. Galea’s instructions, which included Nutropin, Actovegin, ATP, ginseng, Celebrex, IV tubing, a centrifuge, plasma kits, and sterile gloves.

Dr. Galea and the employee understood that if she was asked by U.S. border officers about the purpose for her entry into the United States with the medical supplies, she would respond that she was attending a medical conference where Dr. Galea would speak and demonstrate the use of medical supplies. Dr. Galea and the employee knew, however, that on the majority of the occasions they came to the United States, their only purpose for coming to the U.S. was to provide medical treatments to Dr. Galea’s patients. Some of the medical supplies Dr. Galea and the employee brought into the United States for these treatments, including Nutropin and
Actovegin, were misbranded drugs within the meaning of U.S. law.

The following is a list of treatments Dr. Galea provided to his patients while in the United States:

- Anti-inflammatory -IVs, i.e., intravenous treatments involving a mixture containing Actovegin (a substance derived from calf's blood), and Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), Traumeel, magnesium, calcium, vitamins C, B- 1.00, B-6, and Glutathiome;
- Plasma Rich Platelet ("PRP") treatments, which involved extracting blood from patients,spinning the blood in a centrifuge to separate the plasma from the red blood cells, and re-injecting the plasma into the patients for the purpose of accelerating the healing process.
- Injections containing a mixture of substances including Actovegin, Traumeel, Vitamin B-12 and (in the case of chronic injuries) Zeel, as treatment for injured muscles; and
- Injections containing a mixture of substances including Nutropin, a human growth hormone (HGH) produced by recombinant DNA technology, Traumeel, Procaine, Zeel, and vitamin B-12 injected into the knee and given for the purpose of treating joint inflammation.

While in the United States, Dr. Galea also from time to time distributed and administered substances such as ATP for intramuscular injections. Items used for intramuscular injections were labeled in languages other than English.

Prescription items distributed by Dr. Galea, including Nutropin, did not bear the "RX only" symbol required by U.S. 1aw and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations. Under U.S. law and FDA regulations, substances intended for use in the treatment of disease are “misbranded” if they are not approved by the FDA and labeled in the English language. The forms of Actovegin used as ingredients in the anti-inflammatory IVs and in the injections for injured muscles were not labeled in English but instead were labeled in German or Russian. Nutropin was not approved by the FDA for the uses intended by Dr. Galea. Actovegin was not
approved by the FDA for any use.

Dr. Galea administered medical treatments in the United States in such places as the homes of patients and in hotel rooms. The cost of the treatments, travel, lodging, and other expenses for Dr. Galea and the employee were charged to the patients. The amount Dr. Galea charged to the patients during the aforementioned time period was approximately $800,000.00. For the purposes of the Plea Agreement, Dr. Galea and the U.S. government agreed that the value of the substances provided to the patients which contained unapproved and/or misbranded substances exceeded $30,000.00 but did not exceed $70,000.00.

On or about August 27, 2009, Dr. Galea and the employee traveled to the United States separately. The employee entered the U.S. at the Peace Bridge and Dr. Galea traveled to the U.S. from Toronto by air. The purpose of Dr. Galea’s entry into the United States was to provide medical treatments to several athletes.

On September 14, 2009, on Dr. Galea’s instructions, the employee attempted to enter the United States at the Peace Bridge in Buffalo to meet Dr. Galea in Washington D.C., where Dr. Galea was to provide medical treatment to a professional athlete. Dr. Galea was flying directly from Toronto. The employee was referred to secondary inspection. During secondary inspection, the employee told an Officer from the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), that she was traveling to Washington, D.C. to attend a medical conference with her employer, Dr. Galea. The employee further stated to the CBP Officer that she had items
intended for display at the medical conference. The employee made these statements pursuant to an understanding she had with Dr. Galea that she would falsely tell U.S. border personnel that she and Dr. Galea would be attending a medical conference in the United States. A duffle bag in her vehicle contained medical items including needles, over one hundred syringes, a medical centrifuge, numerous bottles, including a bottle of Nutropin and bottles of Actovegin, 20 vials and 76 ampoules of drugs not properly branded in contravention of U.S. Regulations, and a diagnostic ultrasound computer.

As a result of the above conduct, the employee was arrested and charged in the United States. The employee pleaded guilty in the United States District Court to making a false statement to a federal agent, and was convicted of a felony criminal offence. On July 25, 2011, she was sentenced to one year probation. She is unable to travel to the United States without permission.

On December 16, 2011, Dr. Galea was sentenced to time served, namely the day of his voluntary surrender to U.S. authorities, during which he had not been in detention, and supervised release for one year on the terms set out in the Judgment.

PENALTY

On December 6, 2017, the Discipline Committee ordered and directed that:

- The Registrar suspend Dr. Galea’s certificate of registration for a period of nine (9) months, effective immediately.
- Dr. Galea appear before the Committee to be reprimanded within 60 days of the - date of this Order.
- Dr. Galea pay to the College costs in the amount of $21,500.00 within 60 days of the date of this Order.
 
 


Decision: Download Full Decision (PDF)
Hearing Date(s): Hearing Dates: October 24 & 25, 2016 Motion: February 8, 2017 Penalty: July 4-7, 2017

CPSO will be closed on March 29, 2024. We will re-open on Monday, April 1, 2024, at 8:00 am.