Fentanyl Claim Center

J&J, Novartis Recall Duragesic Pain Patches

admin — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 19:22:05 +0000

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.”

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Fentanyl Patch Recalled - FDA Release

admin — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 19:10:19 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Morristown, NJ — February 17, 2008 — Actavis Inc., the United States manufacturing and marketing division of the international generic pharmaceutical company Actavis Group hf, today announced that 14 lots of Fentanyl transdermal system CII patches sold in the United States by Actavis’ subsidiary Actavis South Atlantic LLC are being voluntarily recalled from wholesalers and pharmacies as a precaution.

The recalled patches were manufactured by Corium International Inc., a contract manufacturer for Actavis, and sold nationwide in the United States by Actavis South Atlantic LLC.

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Duragesic Pain Patch Still Killing People

admin — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 19:28:06 +0000

The Duragesic patch and other generic fentanyl pain patches are still killing people, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) warned today. The Duragesic pain patch, marketed by Johnson & Johnson, and other generic pain patches, emit the powerful narcotic painkiller fentanyl. These transdermal pain patches were approved to treat pain in people who use narcotics, such as cancer patients. Today’s FDA notice is the second time since 2005 that the agency has warned of fatal consequences linked to fentanyl painkilling patch misuse.

The Duragesic and other similar pain patches are meant to treat persistent, moderate to severe chronic pain in opioid-tolerant patients 2 years of age or older. Fentanyl is a highly addictive opiate that is 80 times more potent than morphine. Fentanyl is considered a Class II substance by the Drug Enforcement Administration, meaning it is associated with a high potential for abuse and a risk for fatal overdose. The Duragesic and similar patches use so-called “transdermal” technology developed by California-based Alza Corporation.

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