Mass Layoffs at Ameridose, Company Linked to NECC

Ameridose, the Westborough facility that shares owners with the Framingham company connected to a national meningitis outbreak, handed out hundreds of layoff notices today.

The Boston Globe is reporting that the layoffs, which will start Friday, affect 650 workers at Ameridose and 140 at its affiliated marketing company, Medical Sales Management.

Ameridose has not been directly implicated in the meningitis outbreak. Its sister company, the Framingham-based New England Compounding Center, had its license revoked and is blamed for producing steroid injections that caused 31 deaths and 424 cases of fungal meningitis and joint infections. 

Ameridose has voluntarily recalled its drugs.

The layoffs are expected to continue through the end of the month.

Fox25 obtained the layoff notice, which reads, in part: "In our current circumstances, our business prospects are very difficult to predict, and it is our hope that your layoff will be temporary and that you will be brought back to work. It is important that you know we are working diligently and cooperatively with our regulators to address any issues they have raised, and with the goal of resuming Ameridose's operations as soon as possible."