Congress investigating compounding trade group

Washington - House lawmakers are investigating whether the industry group for compounding pharmacies coached the company responsible for a deadly outbreak of meningitis in dealing with regulators.

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce sent a letter Friday to the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists requesting any documents it distributed to members about how to respond to health inspectors.

"Allegations that your association may have encouraged compounding pharmacists to attempt to impede the FDA from evaluating the efficacy and safety of their products, if true, raise serious concerns about your actions," states the letter, signed by Republican and Democratic committee leaders.

The lawmakers are investigating the outbreak linked to contaminated pain injections from the New England Compounding Center, which has sickened more than 540 people and killed 36.

- Associated Press