Traci M (TM) is one of eleven people in Minnesota with CDC-confirmed cases of fungal meningitis linked to epidural steroid shots for pain made by New England Compounding Center (NECC). Three lots of the company’s methylprednisolone acetate (preservative free), a steroid injected into the spine to treat back pain, are the source of a fungal meningitis outbreak that has 438 CDC-confirmed victims. 32 of them have died. Attorney Fred Pritzker, who is representing Ms. Maccoux, is representing over 40 patients. You can contact Fred for a free consultation here.
Traci shared her story of pain and uncertainty with Christopher Snowbeck, a reporter for the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The article, “Brooklyn Park woman deals with fungal meningitis,” was published today. Below is an excerpt from the article:
“It was scary. You know that you’re on that list of people who got the injection and could die.” . . . Since the confirmation came about a month ago, [TM] has been hospitalized twice for a total of two weeks. Her second stay ended this month, but [TM] said she’s still not feeling well.
“It’s just an overall, general weakness,” she said Thursday. “I have a little bit of a headache, but not a huge one. I’m just laying in bed — that’s all I can do.” On Monday, her mother Cathy said she was doing better.
[TM] is considering legal action in the case, said her attorney, Fred Pritzker. . . [TM] said she’s upset with New England Compounding Center for what’s happened to her. She also blames the local MAPS clinic because the Massachusetts company — called NECC, for short — didn’t have a license to sell medications in bulk to clinics in Minnesota, according to the state Board of Pharmacy.
Several parties are to blame for what Traci and hundreds of others have had to suffer through. NECC made medication for injection into the spine in a facility that the FDA later found filthy and contaminated. It then allegedly sold it to clinics in 23 states in bulk, in violation of state and federal law. The clinics purchased the NECC methylprednisolone acetate in bulk without prescriptions for individual patients and used it on patients. The Massachusetts Board of Pharmacy was allegedly alerted to the NECC violations and apparently did nothing.
Patients injured by NECC methylprednisolone acetate and their families should be compensated for all financial losses, pain and suffering, emotional distress and other damages. NECC and others should be sued and thereby held accountable. You can contact our NECC meningitis lawyers for a free consultation here.
The Minnesota clinics that received the implicated NECC spinal injection drugs are Medical Advanced Pain Specialists (MAPS) in Edina, Fridley, Shakopee and Maple Grove, and the Minnesota Surgery Center (MSC) in Edina and Maple Grove.
Attorney Fred Pritzker is lead attorney for out meningitis litigation group. His offices are in Minneapolis, MN. He is representing patients throughout the United States and in the following Minnesota locations: Twin Cities, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Blaine, Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Chaska, Columbia Heights, Coon Rapids, Crystal, Eden Prairie, Edina, Fridley, Golden Valley, Hopkins, Maple Grove, Minnetonka, Mounds View, New Brighton, Plymouth, Richfield, Shakopee, St. Louis Park, Wayzata, Anoka County, Carver County, Hennepin County and Ramsey County.
