(Reuters) - Michigan, one of the worst-affected states in the deadly meningitis outbreak, on Friday suspended the license of the Massachusetts-based company that made potentially contaminated medication, and accused it of violating state licensing law.
Three people have died in Michigan and it has the second-largest number of meningitis cases of 12 states affected by the outbreak at 41, after Tennessee with 50 cases and six deaths.
Governor Rick Snyder and Attorney General Bill Schuette said in a joint statement that an investigation is also under way in the state.
"Michigan citizens demand that drug manufacturers follow the laws designed to keep consumers safe," they said.
In supporting documents, the state said New England Compounding Center of Massachusetts, which produced a steroid medication contaminated with fungus linked to the outbreak, shipped the medication in bulk when it did not have a license to do so.
Michigan said four facilities in the state received the bulk shipments of steroid used mainly for epidural injections to control back pain.
NECC's license to do business in Michigan was as a pharmacy, which only allows it to prepare a medication for a single prescription for a patient.
"(NECC) was producing the injections and shipping same in vials for general use by the clinics, and not as individual prescriptions for an identified patient," the state says.
The action has little practical effect as NECC already has voluntarily surrendered its license to produce the medications in Massachusetts and has ceased operations.
The medication has led to 14 deaths and 184 cases of meningitis. The company shipped medications suspected of contamination to 23 states and several other states have suspended its license.
(Reporting by David Bailey; Writing By Greg McCune and Eric Walsh)
newt gingrich wife callista rick perry travis barker get back on board rob lowe peyton manning what is sopa
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.