The House Energy and Commerce Committee heard testimony Wednesday from federal and state officials and relatives of victims of the recent fungal meningitis outbreak, according to an AHA News Now report.
The outbreak stems from contaminated drugs from the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass., which have been linked to 32 deaths and more than 438 illnesses.
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, MD, proposed a framework that would increase the FDA's oversight of compounding pharmacies, saying "gaps and ambiguities in the law" have hindered the FDA's ability to inspect pharmacies, according to the report.
NECC's president and co-owner, Barry Cadden, exercised his Fifth Amendment right and did not testify.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will hold a separate hearing on the outbreak Thursday.
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FDA: Avoid Meningitis Contamination, Discontinue Use of New England Compounding Center Products
The outbreak stems from contaminated drugs from the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass., which have been linked to 32 deaths and more than 438 illnesses.
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, MD, proposed a framework that would increase the FDA's oversight of compounding pharmacies, saying "gaps and ambiguities in the law" have hindered the FDA's ability to inspect pharmacies, according to the report.
NECC's president and co-owner, Barry Cadden, exercised his Fifth Amendment right and did not testify.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will hold a separate hearing on the outbreak Thursday.
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FDA: Avoid Meningitis Contamination, Discontinue Use of New England Compounding Center Products