The Tennessee Board of Pharmacy today
accepted the voluntary surrender of New England Compounding Center’s license to
do business in the state, while federal officials said more of the firm’s drugs
have been linked to cases of fungal meningitis.
The newly identified drugs are used in
epidural injections and in heart surgery. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration
said it is also looking into drugs produced by the compounding lab that are
injected into the eye.
The FDA said a different type of steroid
medicine called triamcinolone acetonide, which was also administered through an
epidural injection, has now been linked to a case of fungal meningitis. The
cases of meningitis identified to date have been associated with
methylprednisolone acetate, a similar steroid injectable product.
In addition, two transplant patients with
Aspergillus fumigatus infection who were administered cardioplegic solution from
New England Compounding during surgery have been reported, the FDA said, noting
that there could be other explanations for their Aspergillus infections as the
investigation unfolds. Cardioplegic solution is used to paralyze cardiac muscles
during open heart surgery to prevent injury to the heart.
“FDA continues to evaluate these reports,
and when the agency obtains additional information, it will be promptly relayed
to the public,” the agency said. “FDA has not confirmed that these three
infections were, in fact, caused by an NECC product.”
Steroid medicine produced by the
Massachusetts-based company has sickened 53 Tennesseans, killing six of them.
But no new illnesses or deaths were reported today by the Tennessee Department
of Health.
Although Tennessee penalized the
compounding lab later than four other states, its action is more severe, said
John Smith, chief counsel for the state Department of Health.
Several other states had suspended the
license of New England Compounding, a temporary measure, but Tennessee’s action
is permanent, Smith said.
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