Feb. 12 (Bloomberg) — Johnson & Johnson and Novartis AG’s Sandoz unit recalled some patches containing the painkiller fentanyl, saying manufacturing defects may cause leaks that can lead to fatal overdoses.
The Duragesic patches, made by Johnson & Johnson’s Alza Corp., may have a cut along the drug reservoir, exposing users directly to the fentanyl gel inside, the New Brunswick, New Jersey-based company said in a statement. It’s the fifth recall of some version of the patches since 1994.
“Perhaps the time has come for the FDA to order Johnson & Johnson to pull all versions of this product off the shelves,” said Alex MacDonald, a lawyer who represents the families of former patch users. Juries have found defective patches caused the deaths of two users since lawsuits over the products began going to trial in 2006.”