Firm probed in Meningitis Outbreak

On October 10, an agreement with the Department of Public Health’s Board of Registration in Pharmacy was signed, stating that Ameridose and its distribution partner, Alanaus Pharmaceuticals, are voluntarily shutting down operations until October 22 to allow inspectors the access needed to conduct an investigation.

As part of the agreement, Barry J. Cadden resigned from his corporate positions at Ameridose. Cadden and Gregory Conigliaro own Ameridose, Alanaus Pharmaceuticals and the now-closed New England Compounding Center (NECC) in Framingham, Massachusetts. The NECC was the source of contaminated steroid injections for lower back pain that have currently killed 12 people and sickened at least 137 in 10 states. Department of Public Health (DPH) officials announced that Cadden has agreed to give up his pharmacist license during the investigation.
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick said that the NECC has violated the law by misleading state and federal officials by mass-producing drugs, instead of filling individual prescriptions. Health officials issued an order yesterday requiring all compounding pharmacies to sign an affidavit saying that they are complying with the law.
Pharmaceutical companies are in the business of manufacturing and selling drugs to make a profit. Manufacturers are constantly introducing new drugs into the market and, each year, thousands of people are injured or killed due to dangerous and defective characteristics. Swartz & Swartz, P.C. is committed to the persistent and unrelenting pursuit of drug manufacturers who cause serious injury or death to unsuspecting consumers. If you or a loved one has been the victim of a dangerous drug and would like to speak with an attorney, please contact us; you can call us at (617) 742-1900, or if you are outside the Boston area, call toll-free at 1-800-545-3732. We are here to answer your questions and discuss how to protect your legal rights.