11/25/13 - Authorities in Michigan and Massachusetts say they will coordinate their investigations of a company that sold steroid injection materials linked to a fungal meningitis outbreak that killed 19 Michigan residents, at least eight of them from Livingston County. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette and Boston U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz announced they would coordinate their state and federal probes at a news conference this morning in Detroit. A federal grand jury in Boston has been investigating the New England Compounding Center for more than a year. The Michigan Court of Appeals also approved a request for a grand jury, which is being overseen by Livingston County Chief Circuit Court Judge David Reader. The 6-month term of the grand jury is nearly expired, but Schuette's office said he may petition the presiding judge to reconvene the grand jury in the future, if necessary. Evidence already uncovered by the grand jury may be used in ongoing investigations. Schuette says the coordination will "maximize the resources dedicated to this investigation." Fungal meningitis has been linked to contaminated steroids produced by the Massachusetts pharmacy and shipped to four Michigan clinics, including Michigan Pain Specialists in Brighton. Patients who became ill received injections for neck or back pain. The Massachusetts company's steroid materials have been linked to a total of 751 meningitis and other infections, including 264 in Michigan. Tennessee and Indiana were also hit hard. (JK)
↧