Barry Cadden, the former president of New England Compounding Center (NECC), was sentenced to at least 10 years in prison for his role in the deaths of 11 Michigan residents due to tainted drugs. This sentencing came after Cadden pleaded no contest in March to involuntary manslaughter charges related to the deaths. The 10- to 15-year sentence will run concurrently with a 14-1/2 year federal prison term Cadden is serving for racketeering and fraud charges. Cadden had been accused of second-degree murder over 25 deaths caused by mold-tainted steroids produced by NECC, but he was acquitted of those charges.
Federal prosecutors in Boston sought to convict Cadden of second-degree murder over 25 deaths caused by mold-tainted steroids produced by NECC, but he was acquitted of those charges. Michigan’s attorney general then brought charges in state court against Cadden and Glenn Chin, NECC’s former supervisory pharmacist, who was also convicted of federal fraud charges but cleared at trial of second-degree murder. The families of the victims were greatly impacted by Cadden’s actions, which were described as driven by greed and disregard for basic standards, leading to the horrific tragedy that occurred.
NECC was found to have produced the tainted drugs in filthy and unsafe conditions, selling them to hospitals and clinics nationally. The outbreak stemming from the tainted drugs sickened 793 patients, with more than 100 fatalities reported. Prosecutors detailed Cadden’s failure to uphold basic safety standards in the production and distribution of the drugs, which ultimately led to the tragic outbreak. The sentencing of Cadden was seen as a form of justice for the victims, though the impact of the tragedy will forever be felt by their families.
Cadden’s attorney, Gerald Gleeson, stated that the sentence credited Cadden for the over 6-1/2 years he has already spent in custody. Chin, NECC’s former supervisory pharmacist, is still facing pending charges in Michigan and has pleaded not guilty. He is currently serving a 10-1/2 year federal sentence for his involvement in the fraud charges related to NECC. The legal actions taken against Cadden and Chin have shed light on the serious consequences of neglecting safety standards in the production of pharmaceuticals and the impact it can have on public health and safety. The fallout from the NECC case serves as a reminder of the importance of upholding strict regulations in the pharmaceutical industry to prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future.
