Michael J. Fox Foundation sues Parkinson's disease research facility

Michael J. Fox

FILE - In this April 28, 2012 file photo, actor Michael J. Fox attends the premiere of "The Avengers" during the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival in New York. Fox is planning a return to series TV and will star in a sitcom that's in development at Sony Pictures Television according to people familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, file) Michael J. Fox

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — Actor Michael J. Fox's foundation is suing a New Jersey research organization, saying a freezer was left open, compromising scientific samples and hurting research efforts it was funding.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research filed its complaint Friday in U.S. District Court against Camden's Coriell Institute for Medical Research.

The New York-based charity says it contracted with Coriell in 2010 and 2011 to store specimens for research into Parkinson's. The group says Coriell has been paid $3.5 million of the $4.3 million called for in the contracts.

The suit alleges that in March, a door to a freezer was left open, causing many scientific samples to thaw. The samples were no longer useful for research, according to the suit.

Coriell says it intends to "vigorously" defend itself.

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