In line with the recent meningitis cases that have already claimed over 20 lives, federal agents raided The New England Compounding Center (“NECC”). The NECC in Framingham—a part of the Boston suburb—was searched by agents from the USFDA for controlled substances.
Massachusetts U.S. Attorney, Carmen Ortiz, is not confirming anything about the raid. She said that they are still currently investigating the allegations concerning the NECC and any speculation would be “entirely premature.” The raid on NECC came after a US Representative probed on the possible federal laws crossed by the pharmacy particularly on addictive drugs. This is in relation to the increased number of meningitis victims which reached over 300 last week as confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Meningitis affects the membranes that cover the spinal cord and the brain. Fungal meningitis, while not contagious, can kill a person if not treated properly. Symptoms of meningitis include headache, nausea, and fever. Meningitis can infect a person through injections, which is also a way to administer steroids to the body.
At least 14,000 are said to be at risk of meningitis because of such steroid medications. The FDA claims that they are routinely shipped by the NECC to 76 facilities in 23 states. Besides meningitis, other fungal infections could also be spread through injections. The FDA is investigating two drugs from the NECC: steroid triamcinolone and another one used in open heart surgery. Some patients who received these two medications are now positive with meningitis.
Of the 23 states that have received products from the NECC, 15 of them have reported at least one victim of fungal meningitis. The states include Tennessee, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, Texas, Idaho, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, and Florida. Several lawsuits have already been filed in these states against the NECC.
The NECC engages in drug compounding—an act not regulated by the FDA. Compounding involves preparing specific doses of drugs that have been approved in order to meet the need of a patient with a doctor’s guidance. The NECC is said to have solicited bulk orders from doctors and failed to ask for proof of individual patient prescriptions which is required by law.
If you have become sick, or a loved one has died, after receiving a spinal steroid epidural, contact Mike Agruss Law, at 888-572-0176 to discuss your case. We are here to counsel you in your time of need and to fight for your rights under the law. Call us today at 888-572-0176.
