Bankruptcy hearing for Meningitis-linked pharmacy being held in Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) - A judge is scheduled to hear arguments on whether an independent trustee should oversee the bankruptcy of a firm linked to a meningitis outbreak .

The hearing before Judge Henry J. Boroff is scheduled for Thursday morning at U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Springfield.

A steroid produced by the Framingham-based New England Compounding Center has been linked to a fungal meningitis outbreak that's killed 44. The firm filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December, saying the purpose of the filing was to establish a compensation fund for victims.

U.S. Trustee William Harrington then requested a Chapter 11 trustee. He cited reasons including a purported conflict of interest involving an accountant the firm chose to lead it through bankruptcy and the firm's "gross mismanagement."

The company says appointing a trustee would delay progress toward establishing the fund.