New England Compounding Center (NECC) shares the same owners as Ameridose, a company licensed and regulated by federal authorities to manufacture medications on a large scale. Until June 2011, Ameridose’s headquarters were right around the corner from NECC in Framingham, Massachusetts. Government investigators have to raise concerns about the supervision of compounding companies after the meningitis outbreak, which is now blamed for 11 deaths.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday, October 9, 119 patients have contracted meningitis. The illness has been traced to a steroid medication produced by the NECC. The New England Compounding Center was licensed only to dispense and mix medications for individual patients, which raises the question about how and why it shipped thousands of vials of the tainted steroid to health-care facilities nationwide.
U.S. Representative Edward J. Markey said he will introduce legislation that will require particular pharmacies that engage in interstate commerce to register with the FDA and comply with basic minimum safety standards, among other things.
Consumers that have consumed the tainted steroid should note that the agency moved back the time frame that caregivers began giving the contaminated injections to May 21, 2012, as opposed to July. This means that additional infections, which can take up to four weeks to appear, may continue rising until October 26.
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.

About the Author: James Swartz

Mr. Swartz, our Managing and Principal Attorney at Swartz & Swartz P.C., is a nationally recognized and respected trial attorney as well as consumer advocate. His practice focuses on cases involving negligence, torts, products liability, medical malpractice, wrongful death, and other claims involving catastrophic injuries.