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Wesleyan University President: 12 Receive Medical Treatment After Taking Molly

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Ten Wesleyan University students and two visitors to the school received medical treatment after taking a version of the party drug known as Molly on Sunday, the university's president said.

President Mark Roth said eight of those affected remained hospitalized Monday morning, but four of them should be released later in the day.

The other four were expected to remain at Hartford Hospital, where two were listed in critical condition.

Police Investigating After 11 Wesleyan Students Hospitalized

The drug, a refined and more powerful form of Ecstasy (MDMA), can drive up body temperature and cause liver, kidney or cardiovascular failure.

"Unfortunately there is no specific antidote for this medicine, and so if they are in critical condition -- which would suggest that they probably have had the kidney injury or the liver injury -- and so the care at this point for them would be supportive," Dr. Michael Werdman, an emergency physician at Bridgeport Hospital, told WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau.

Werdman, who is not treating the Wesleyan students, said recovery will depend on the body's ability to come back on its own after the drug has been thoroughly flushed out.

Roth urged any students aware of anyone distributing the drug to come forward "before more people are hurt."

Middletown police Chief William McKenna said his department was pursing information about a "bad batch" of the drug.

Some Wesleyan students said the apparent overdoses are not surprising.

"It's to be expected from a college environment, but it is disappointing to know people are exposed to this kind of dangerous drug," one student said.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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