Dive Brief:
- Two officials of a Massachusetts drugmaker blamed for a fungal meningitis outbreak that killed 64 people in 2012 were charged Wednesday with a range of crimes including second-degree murder, the US attorney's office said.
- A 131-count indictment lays out charges against the co-founders and 12 other employees of the New England Compounding Center in Framingham. Co-founder Barry Cadden and senior pharmacist Glenn Chin face charges including 25 counts of second-degree murder for deaths in Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
- The federal racketeering indictment accused them of "acting in wanton and willful disregard of the likelihood" that their misconduct would cause deaths. About 750 people in 20 states became ill after receiving the contaminated steroids.
Dive Insight:
The silver lining in this case—besides the fact that victims of the pharmacy's alleged missteps likely feel some relief that justice is being served—is that there are now tighter regulations for pharmacies that compound, or mix, custom medications for hospitals and physicians. But the fact that it took something as grave as this to nudge regulators is a bit scary for consumers.
Among other things, the indictment alleges that NECC, which was founded in 1998 and has since filed for bankruptcy, even used fictional and celebrity names on fake prescriptions to dispense drugs, USA Today reported.
"Actions like the ones alleged in this case display not only a reckless disregard for health and safety regulations but also an extreme and appalling indifference to human life," Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement. "American consumers have a right to know that their medications are safe to use, and this case proves that the Department of Justice will always stand resolute to ensure that right, to protect the American people and to hold wrongdoers accountable to the fullest extent of the law."