Johnson & Johnson recalls pain patches

-APP

12/31/2008- New Brunswick-based Johnson & Johnson said it is voluntarily recalling two lots of skin patches containing the pain medicine fentanyl because of possible cuts in the reservoir containing the drug.

A defect in manufacturing equipment has since been corrected, the company said today in a statement. The Duragesic- brand patch is made by Alza Corp., a Mountain View, California, company owned by Johnson & Johnson, the world’s biggest maker of medical devices. Some of the patches are sold without the Duragesic brand by Sandoz Inc, a unit of Novartis AG.

This is the fifth recall of some version of the patches since 1994, said Greg Panico, a spokesman for Johnson & Johnson. The patches may have a tear along the drug reservoir, making it possible for patients to overdose, the company said in the statement. The patches are meant for a timed release of the drug.

Today’s recall covers patches in U.S. that release 50 micrograms of fentanyl an hour. The company expects six defective patches in the two lots of 410,000 patches, Panico said in a telephone interview today. Three have already been returned to the company, Panico said. The lot number for the Duragesic patches is 0817239, and the lot number for the Sandoz patches is 0816851.

The patches generated $1.16 billion in sales last year for Johnson & Johnson, making them the company’s seventh best-selling product, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

If you or a loved one have experienced Duragesic side effects you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the Duragesic attorneys of Ennis & Ennis today for a free confidential case evaluation. Our on staff nurse and lawyers are standing by to answer any questions you may have regarding Duragesic side effects, a possible Duragesic class action lawsuit, or any other type of Duragesic litigation.