Disulfiram (also known as Antabuse and Antabus) is a drug used to support the treatment of chronic alcoholism by producing an acute sensitivity to ethanol (drinking alcohol). If someone that has Disulfiram in their system ingests alcohol, they become extremely ill, suffering the effects of a hangover immediately. Disulfiram plus alcohol--even small amounts--produces flushing, throbbing in the head and neck, headache, respiratory difficulty, nausea, copious vomiting, sweating, thirst, chest pain, palpitation, shortness of breath, hyperventilation, tachycardia (high heart rate), hypotension (low blood pressure), syncope (fainting), uneasiness, weakness, vertigo, blurred vision, and confusion.
The story has some elements in common with the real life case of Edmond Safra. He died in a fire that attracted wide media interest and that was judicially determined to be due to arson.
Vincent D' Onofrio previously worked with director John David Coles in the film "Signs of Life" (1989).