Boston Law Firm Investigating Meningitis Outbreak Claims Due to Recall of Methylprednisolone Acetate

BOSTON, Oct. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Amid increasing concern over reports of several meningitis-related deaths from the use of a steroid drug distributed by New England Compounding Center, a Framingham, Massachusetts based pharmacy, Attorney Michael S. Appel at Sugarman, Rogers, Barshak & Cohen is actively looking into potential claims of individuals who have been harmed by the contaminated drug.

Sugarman, Rogers, Barshak & Cohen, a leading Boston-based trial firm, is currently investigating potential claims by individuals who have contracted fungal meningitis from the use of methylprednisolone acetate, a corticosteroid injected into the spine for relief of severe back pain. So far there have been at least 30 reported cases, including several fatalities, in five states, and doctors are concerned that there may be many more cases spread across the country. Patients who have received steroid injections within the past few months are urged to see a doctor if they develop symptoms like severe headaches, fever, nausea, difficulty with balance or slurred speech. The type of fungal meningitis involved in these cases is not communicable.

The contaminated steroid was sold by New England Compounding Center, a compounding pharmacy based in Framingham, Massachusetts.  Compounding pharmacies prepare drug mixtures and solutions that are not subject to the same rigorous safety standards that the FDA imposes on large pharmaceutical companies.  This is apparently not the first time that problems have occurred at New England Compounding Center. It has been reported that the FDA warned the company in 2006 about practices that increased the risk of contamination of another drug.

New England Compounding Center has voluntarily recalled and quarantined some of the contaminated methylprednisolone and authorities are continuing to investigate the scope of the meningitis outbreak caused by the use of the drug.

If you have contracted fungal meningitis after injection with methylprednisolone, please contact Attorney Michael S. Appel at [email protected] or by phone at 617-227-3030.

About Sugarman, Rogers, Barshak & Cohen, P.C.
Sugarman, Rogers, Barshak & Cohen is a Boston-based civil litigation firm with 27 lawyers and more than 80 years of success handling complex cases in a wide range of practice areas.  The firm has a long history of successfully representing plaintiffs in claims against pharmaceutical companies and manufacturers for serious personal injuries and death caused by adverse reactions to drugs.  For more information, visit www.srbc.com.

Contact: Michael S. Appel
[email protected]

SOURCE Sugarman, Rogers, Barshak & Cohen, P.C.