New England Compounding Center (NECC) is a

compounding In the field of pharmacy, compounding (performed in compounding pharmacies) is preparation of custom medications to fit unique needs of patients that cannot be met with mass-produced formulations. This may be done, for example, to provide medic ...

pharmacy founded in 1998, along with its sister companies Ameridose, Medical Sales Management Inc, and Alaunus Pharmaceutical LLC. Based in

Framingham, Massachusetts Framingham () is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. Incorporated in 1700, it is located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County and the MetroWest subregion of the Greater Boston ...

, the New England Compounding Center was founded by brothers-in-law Greg Conigliaro and Barry Cadden. The owners are Carla R. Conigliaro, Barry J. Cadden, Lisa M. Conigliaro and Gregory A. Conigliaro

Ameridose

Ameridose was established to be a large manufacturer of prescription medications for use in hospitals. The original location of the company's plant was in

next to its sister-companies New England Compounding Center and Medical Sales Management. In 2009, they purchased and started operations at two new locations, 205 and 203 Flanders Road in nearby

Westborough, Massachusetts Westborough is a New England town, town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 21,567 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, in over 7,000 households. Incorporated in 1717, the town is governed under the N ...

, to accommodate the steady growth of the company. Ameridose would eventually employ over 1,000 people and report annual revenues of $300 million.

NECC 2012 outbreak

The company became the center of national headlines resulting from a meningitis outbreak that started in September, 2012. NECC recalled more than 2,000 products after distributing 17,000 vials of

methylprednisolone Methylprednisolone (Depo-Medrol, Medrol, Solu-Medrol) is a synthetic glucocorticoid, primarily prescribed for its anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects. It is either used at low doses for chronic illnesses or used at high doses durin ...

for injection contaminated with

fungi A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one ...

to 23 states.

Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respo ...

(FDA) regulations dictate that compounding pharmacies like NECC combine, mix, or alter ingredients only to create specific drugs for individual patients. Massachusetts state regulators reported NECC was licensed only to prepare individual patient prescriptions. Doctors, hospitals, and clinics had turned to compounding pharmacies like NECC because they often charge much lower prices than the major manufacturers."Scant Oversight of Drug Maker in Fatal Meningitis Outbreak"
Denise Grady; Andrew Pollack; Sabrina Tavernisd, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', October 6, 2012 On December 21, 2012, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, listing less than $2.34 million in debts. Following the bankruptcy, a ''

Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency ...

'' investigation into financial filings revealed company payments exceeding $33 million to the top executives and private equity investors in 2012.

The Tennessean ''The Tennessean'' (known until 1972 as ''The Nashville Tennessean'') is a daily newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee. Its circulation area covers 39 counties in Middle Tennessee and eight counties in southern Kentucky. It is owned by Gannett, w ...

reported that between 2008 and 2013, shareholders received a total of $300 million from NECC and its sister company, Ameridose. Meningitis-linked pharmacy owners got millions: filing
by Tim McGlaughlin, Reuters, January 22, 2013.

References

External links

{{Pharmaceutical companies of the United States Companies based in Framingham, Massachusetts Pharmaceutical companies of the United States Pharmaceutical companies established in 1998 Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2012 Health care companies based in Massachusetts