A Massachusetts pharmacy linked to a meningitis outbreak says its cleaning contractor should share blame for the apparent mishap that left dozens dead nationwide. The New England Compounding Center sent a letter to UniFirst Corp. demanding it share responsibility for a tainted steroid used to treat pain and inflammation, according to a filing this week with the Securities and Exchange Commission. UniFirst Corp. acknowledged that it provided "once-a-month cleaning services," but added that the pharmacy's claims are "without merit," the filing says. Last week, the compounding center announced that it had filed for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11. The company said that it "seeks to establish a fund to compensate individuals and families affected" by the outbreak, which has been linked to 39 fatalities among the 656 cases tallied in 19 states. Patients contracted fungal meningitis -- which results in inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord -- after their spines were injected with a contaminated, preservative-free steroid called methylprednisolone acetate, health officials have said. According to health agencies, the compounding center did not follow proper sterilization procedures and distributed its products without knowing whether they had passed sterility tests. In addition, it distributed vials containing a … Continue reading →

By JoNel Aleccia, NBC News The compounding pharmacy at the center of an ongoing outbreak of fungal meningitis and other infections says the cleaning company it hired is also at fault for unsanitary conditions linked to more than 650 infections and 39 deaths in the U.S. The New England Compounding Center sent a letter Dec. 31 to UniFirst Corp., asking UniFirst officials to indemnify NECC against claims stemming from the compounding and sale of tainted steroid injection drugs, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This demand relates to the limited, once-a-month cleaning services the Company provided to portions of NECCs cleanroom facilities, UniFirst, of Wilmington, Mass., explained in required filings. Based on its preliminary review of this matter, the Company believed that NECCs claims are without merit. Federal health regulators found fungi in three lots of tainted steroids linked to infections and deaths and more fungi and bacteria in other drugs made by NECC. In addition, Food and Drug Administration inspectors found evidence of contamination documented throughout the NECC facility and dating from January 2012 through September. In some cases, surfaces were overgrown with visible mold, inspectors said. UniFirst provided services through its UniClean business as … Continue reading →

BOSTON (AP) The Massachusetts compounding pharmacy linked to a nationwide meningitis outbreak that has been blamed for 39 deaths and hundreds of illnesses is blaming its cleaning contractor. The Boston Globe (http://b.globe.com/XqlSG2 ) reports that attorneys for New England Compounding Center sent a letter to UniFirst Corp. demanding that it take legal responsibility for claims against the pharmacy. UniFirst acknowledged that a subsidiary helped clean portions of the pharmacy's cleanroom facility in Framingham, but maintained its cleaning services were limited and it was not responsible for the contaminated drugs. A spokesman called the claims "unfounded and without merit." Federal investigators found widespread evidence of mold and other contamination when they visited the pharmacy in October. UniFirst received the letter last week and disclosed it in a filing Thursday with the Securities and Exchange Commission. ___ Information from: The Boston Globe, http://www.boston.com/globe Continued here: Mass. meningitis pharmacy blames cleaning company … Continue reading →

Jan 4, 2013 11:41am Credit: Minnesota Department of Health/AP Photo The pharmacy at the heart of the fungal meningitis outbreak says a cleaning company it hired should share the blame for the tainted steroid injections that caused more than 600 illnesses in 19 states, killing 39 people. Click here to read about the road to recovery for fungal meningitis victims. The New England Compounding Pharmacy, which made the fungus-tainted drugs, sent a letter to UniFirst Corp., which provided once-a month cleaning services to the Framingham, Mass., lab, demanding it indemnify NECC for the meningitis outbreak, according to a UniFirst filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Based on its preliminary review of this matter, the company believes that NECCs claims are without merit,UniFirst wrote in its quarterly filing. The New England Compounding Center recalled 17,000 vials of tainted steroid injections on Sept. 26 before recalling all drugs and shutting down on Oct. 6. The Food and Drug Administration investigated NECCs lab and found that a quarter of the steroid injections in one bin contained greenish black foreign matter, according to the report. The FDA also identified several cleanrooms that had bacterial or mold overgrowths. UniFirsts UniClean business cleaned portions of … Continue reading →

By CNN Staff updated 3:42 PM EST, Fri January 4, 2013 Bottles containing injectable steroids distributed by the New England Compounding Center, suspected in a meningitis outbreak. STORY HIGHLIGHTS (CNN) -- A Massachusetts pharmacy linked to a meningitis outbreak says its cleaning contractor should share blame for the apparent mishap that left dozens dead nationwide. The New England Compounding Center sent a letter to UniFirst Corp. demanding it share responsibility for a tainted steroid used to treat pain and inflammation, according to a filing this week with the Securities and Exchange Commission. UniFirst Corp. acknowledged that it provided "once-a-month cleaning services," but added that the pharmacy's claims are "without merit," the filing says. Last week, the compounding center announced that it had filed for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11. The company said that it "seeks to establish a fund to compensate individuals and families affected" by the outbreak, which has been linked to 39 fatalities among the 656 cases tallied in 19 states. Patients contracted fungal meningitis -- which results in inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord -- after their spines were injected with a contaminated, preservative-free steroid called methylprednisolone acetate, health officials have said. Read … Continue reading →