Der Spiegel says Bach could be linked to 251 patient deaths between Jan. 2000 and last July, and to as many as 1,500 deaths since 1982.
Klinge cautioned against such speculation, saying, "The suspect correctly treated many terminally ill cancer patients with morphine, we know that. And there is no evidence indicating that the number of unsolved deaths is any where near 1,500 -- at this point."
So far, records of 11 patients have been studied by investigators.
In eight of those deaths, the patients were not terminally ill but allegedly were nonetheless prescribed high doses of morphine.
Morphine is one of the most effective drugs known for the relief of severe pain.
It remains the gold standard against which new analgesics are measured.
But morphine is also highly addictive and, in large doses, can result in death.
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