NECC should have been shut down in 2003

In 2003 the FDA had in mind to close the New England Compounding Center (NECC) which lately caused the meningitis outbreak in some states of America. The NECC manufactured contaminated Methylprednisolone Acetate injections. Over 400 persons who applied the tainted steroid injections were sickened with fungal meningitis. This illness turned out to be tragic for 39 persons.
According to a recent report published by the House of Energy and Commerce Committee, the meningitis outbreak could have been prevented. The report disclosed numerous cases related to the NECC that should have been closed by the FDA earlier.
The FDA claimed in 2003 that the Massachusetts pharmacy should not have manufactured medicines till improving of the situation. But ultimately the FDA didn’t ban manufacture of products at the NECC. Since the NECC was claimed to be a pharmacy, it should have been ruled by Massachusetts officials. So, the FDA let Massachusetts colleagues to improve the situation. As for Massachusetts officials, they didn’t prohibit manufacture of preparations at once. The company continued to manufacture products. Just Barry Cadden, the owner of the NECC, got reprimand.
Moreover, the NECC was guilty of some illicit activities. The company acted inappropriately under its license. While the NECC was a pharmacy, it acted as a manufacturer and shipped thousands doses of preparations to hospitals and individual patients.
In 2002 several persons suffered from unusual adverse effects after they had got bethamethasone injections produced by the Massachusetts pharmacy.
Later certain persons who got methylprednisolone acetate injections manufactured by the Massachusetts pharmacy were sickened with bacterial meningitis. Since these persons got complete recovery because of antibiotics, the case was forgotten. The NECC was not punished for the contaminated preparations.
These and even certain other cases manifest that the NECC should have punished earlier. The pharmacy should have been closed for its illegal and improper operations. But the NECC was never sentenced to any severe penalties. As a result, the company continued to produce preparations that were dangerous for consumers’ health. Finally, the meningitis outbreak caused by contaminated injections of the Massachusetts pharmacy spread to several states and sickened many persons. If the pharmacy had been closed earlier, the contamination with deadly fungal meningitis would not have occurred.