House Energy and Commerce Committee leaders on Tuesday subpoenaed the co-owner of the compounding center (PDF) connected to a deadly meningitis outbreak to testify next week after federal lawmakers return from their seven-week congressional recess.

Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), the panel's ranking member, issued the subpoena for Barry Cadden, the president, co-owner and managing pharmacist at Framingham, Mass.-based New England Compounding Center, to appear at a hearing on Nov. 14.

“With more than 400 people infected and 30 deaths, it is critical that we hear directly from the head of the facility linked to the outbreak,” the lawmakers said in the announcement. “Since Mr. Cadden has indicated he will not appear voluntarily, we are left with no choice but to issue a subpoena.”

Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret Hamburg is also scheduled to appear at next week's hearing. Despite the long congressional break, the House Energy and Commerce Committee launched an investigation into the outbreak in October, the same month the FDA released an inspection form that reported examples of unclean rooms and contaminated products at the facility.