A Massachusetts company has denied negligence in connection with a steroid linked to a fungal meningitis outbreak that has claimed 34 lives nationwide.
New England Compounding Pharmacy filed documents Monday in response to a federal lawsuit in Minnesota. The suit was filed on behalf of Barbe Puro, a resident of Savage who received four steroid injections in September and claims she suffered a dramatic rise in headaches and nausea.
The company admits it compounded and dispensed the tainted steroids, but denies Puro's claims. Among other things, it says injuries have not been proven, and if there are injuries, they might have been caused by pre-existing or unrelated conditions.
The company also says the steroid was formulated, distributed and labeled in compliance with state and federal laws.
The company faces three other lawsuits in Minnesota.
State officials have confirmed 13 illnesses linked to the contaminated steroids, and hundreds of Minnesota patients have been tested for meningitis after receiving injections from tainted lots of the medication.
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