According to the Associated Press, the New England Compounding Center had already settled a wrongful death lawsuit over similar allegations in 2007. The Framingham, Massachusetts compounding pharmaceutical company is considered the source of the tainted steroid shots that are believed to be the cause of this current fungal meningitis outbreak. Already, reports the CDC, over 185 people in 10 states have fallen ill and at least 14 people have died in this latest contamination.
Please contact our Boston defective medication lawyers if you believe that you have fallen ill because of a dangerous or contaminated medication. Altman & Altman LLP also represents drug defect clients throughout the US.
In the earlier case, the victim, 83, died about 18 months after getting a shot that New England Compounding Center had produced. His loved ones contended that the shot was contaminated and caused him to develop the bacterial meningitis, which led to his death in 2004. A settlement was reached with his widow.
Now, the Framingham pharmaceutical company is once again at the center of negligence allegations, this one involving the national outbreak. The steroid in question, methylprednisolone acetate, is usually injected into the body to relieve back pain. The contaminated batches were made between May and September of this year and sent to at least 75 medical facilities. The steroid may have been used by about 13,000 people.
This week, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick said that the pharmaceutical company engaged in work outside of what it is licensed to do, which is to fill specified prescriptions for specific patients. He said that the New England Compounding Center was making huge batches and selling them out of state. All steroids contaminated by the fungus have since been recalled and the company has closed its operations.
Suit: Firm Provided Tainted Meds in 2002, Man Died, AP/ABC News, October 11, 2012
More people sickened from tainted steroid made by Massachusetts pharmacy, Boston.com, October 12, 2012
More Blog Posts:
Steroid Linked to Rare Fungal Meningitis Outbreak May Have Been Administered to About 1,300 People in 23 States, Drug Injury Lawyers Blog, October 8, 2012
Boston Dangerous Drug Lawsuits: YAZ, Ocella, and Yasmin Birth Control Pills Linked to Deep Vein Thrombosis, Pulmonary Embolism, Stroke, Heart Attack, and Myocardial Infarction Side Effects, Boston Injury Lawyers Blog, June 19, 2012
Pradaxa Lawsuit Claims Drug’s Side Effects Caused Woman to Bleed to Death, Boston Injury Lawyers Blog, April 30, 2012