Pallone Deeply Concerned by Contamination Incident at NIH

Statement

Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) issued the following statement today regarding fungal contamination of certain immunosuppressant compounds produced by the National Institute of Health's (NIH) Pharmaceutical Development Section and used in 46 different clinical trials:

"I am deeply troubled by the contamination incident at NIH. We rely on NIH as our premiere medical research agency to conduct its work safely and effectively, and this episode raises concerns about whether proper protocols are in place to guarantee patient safety. Our number one priority should be the health of the patients who may have received contaminated injections, and I am encouraged that NIH is taking the necessary steps to monitor those individuals. I hope that NIH and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are working together to identify what went wrong, and I look forward to receiving regular updates from both agencies as they ensure the safety of future research."

Source