Ed Markey: “I wish to begin by thanking Chairman Harkin, Ranking Member Alexander, Senators Franken and Roberts, and all of their…”

“I wish to begin by thanking Chairman Harkin, Ranking Member Alexander, Senators Franken and Roberts, and all of their staffs for their tremendous leadership on this bill. This bill was also developed in concert with our counterparts in the House of Representatives. I extend my thanks to ranking member Henry Waxman and chairman Fred Upton and their staffs of the Energy and Commerce Committee. What we have now is a bipartisan, bicameral bill that addresses two very serious issues: the safety of compounded drugs and the security of our entire drug supply. Last fall an outbreak of fungal meningitis stunned the Nation and thus far has claimed the lives of 64 people and has sickened 751 in 20 States. This issue hits home for me because it started in Massachusetts. At the center of this tragedy was the New England Compounding Center, also known as NECC. It is located in Framingham, MA. I met some of the victims of this terrible outbreak and heard about their struggles, people like Jerry Cohen, a resident of Pikesville, MD, who went to the doctor for routine steroid injections to treat recurring back pain and received two doses that came from the contaminated lots. Jerry suffered a stroke and had to adjust to a new life, dealing with dizziness, nausea, weakness, and exhaustion. Melanie Norwood's mother Marjorie went into a Tennessee hospital to treat an acute back injury she suffered while mowing the lawn.…”