Press Releases

Following months of bipartisan negotiations and Congressional hearings into last year’s deadly fungal meningitis outbreak resulting from tainted steroid injections, the House of Representatives on September 28 passed the Drug Quality and Security Act (H.R. 3204).  This bipartisan, bicameral agreement incorporates some of the Compounding Clarity Act (H.R. 3089), introduced on September 12 by Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Congressman Gene Green (D-TX), and Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO).

Today, the Drug Quality and Security Act passed the Senate in a voice vote.  The Drug Quality and Security Act is a first step towards helping to ensure the safety of compounded drugs.  It will work to clarify the authority of state and federal regulators such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in an effort to prevent a national public health crisis like the 2012 fungal meningitis outbreak tied to the New England Compounding Center (NECC).  64 deaths and 750 confirmed cases of fungal meningitis resulted from tainted steroid injections from the NECC.

After Senate passage of the Drug Quality and Security Act, Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement:

“I am pleased that the Senate passed this bipartisan legislation.  Though work remains to be done, the Drug Quality and Security Act will clarify who is responsible for overseeing facilities that produce sterile drugs.  This bill, if in effect prior to last year, would have prevented NECC's improper conduct from going undetected by the appropriate agencies.  We look forward to President Obama signing this common-sense, practical, workable, health care bill into law.”

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