Drug firm may have misled regulators
This photo provided Oct. 9, 2012, by the Minnesota Department of Health shows shows vials of the injectable steroid product made by New England Compounding Center implicated in a fungal meningitis outbreak that were being shipped to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta from Minneapolis. About 17,700 single-dose vials of the steroid sent to 23 states have been recalled. The outbreak involves 10 states, including Minnesota. (AP Photo/Minnesota Department of Health)
BOSTON » Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick says the specialty pharmacy linked to a deadly meningitis outbreak may have misled regulators and done work beyond the scope of its state license.
The New England Compounding Center in Framingham made a steroid that was used in contaminated injections that have sickened more than 130 people in 10 states. Twelve have died.
Patrick told reporters today that state and federal agencies “may have been misled by some of the information we were given.”
He says the company was supposed to fill specific prescriptions for specific patients but instead made big batches of medicine and sold them out of state.
He says that was outside of its state license.
A message requesting comment was left with a company spokesman. The company has shut down and is cooperating with investigators.
