The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that two additional drugs made by the New England Compounding Center (NECC) were contaminated. The new drugs that have been found to be infected with multiple strands of bacteria are preservative-free betamethasone, a corticosteroid used to relieve severe itching, and cardioplegia solution, a drug used to stop the heart during surgery. This discovery follows on the heels of the earlier determination that NECC’s injectable steroid was contaminated.
The FDA has recently released a list of customers who have received potentially tainted products from the NECC. Nearly 97% of those customers have already been contacted. All NECC drugs were recalled on October 6th, 2012.
The FDA, in coordination with the Centers for Disease Control (CDS), continues to test drugs from the NECC to ensure the fungal infection has not spread further. According to the CDC, 386 reported cases of fungal meningitis have been confirmed in 19 states. Some of those developing fungal meningitis have suffered strokes, while others have developed joint infections.
Across 23 states, nearly 14,000 people have been injected with these tainted drugs. As a result, these people run the risk of stroke, death, and other infections. The greatest risk of infection and subsequent complications occur in the first six weeks following an injection. Although the risk still remains for some, health officials have stated that the danger for patients who were injected will be over in the next few weeks.
If you or someone you know has developed meningitis as a result of a contaminated drug, contact the attorneys at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner by calling (713) 222-7211 or 713-222-7211.