The co-founder of a specialty pharmacy involved in a deadly national meningitis outbreak in 2012 has pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter in Michigan. Barry Cadden, co-founder of New England Compounding Center in Massachusetts, reached a deal that will see his prison sentence of 10 to 15 years served concurrently with his existing 14 1/2-year federal sentence for fraud and other crimes.
The outbreak, linked to mold-tainted steroids distributed by the pharmacy, affected approximately 800 patients in 20 states, resulting in about 100 deaths. The injections were primarily for back pain treatment.
Cadden appeared in Livingston County court and pleaded no contest to 11 counts of involuntary manslaughter, one for each Michigan resident who died as a result of the tainted drugs. This plea deal comes after Cadden had been facing second-degree murder charges.
Attorney General Dana Nessel emphasized the importance of medication safety, stating that patients must trust the safety of their medications and doctors must be confident in the products they administer.
In a previous federal court appearance, Cadden expressed remorse for the suffering caused by his company's drugs, acknowledging the shortcuts taken to maximize profits, including inadequate disinfection practices and premature drug shipments.
Another individual, pharmacist Glenn Chin, also faces criminal charges in Michigan related to the outbreak. Legal proceedings have been delayed due to ongoing federal prosecutions and appeals.
Cadden is scheduled to return to court for sentencing on April 18, while Chin's next court hearing is set for March 15.
