Va. meningitis victim suing Mass. pharmacy

ROANOKE, Va. (AP) -- An 80-year-old Virginia man who says he contracted fungal meningitis after he received an injection of a tainted steroid is suing the Massachusetts pharmacy that made it for $5 million.

Basil Proffitt's attorney filed the action Wednesday in Roanoke Circuit Court against New England Compounding Center. Attorney Will Moody claims the Framingham, Mass., pharmacy was negligent for failing to ensure the medicine was safe.

Moody says Proffitt received the injection Sept. 12 to ease his chronic back pain and became "deathly ill." Proffitt was hospitalized but has been discharged and is continuing treatment.

An outbreak of fungal meningitis has killed at least 15 people nationally, including two in Virginia. Thirty-seven have become sickened in Virginia.

The compounding pharmacy has not commented on its production process.