Three lawsuits have been filed against Johnson & Johnson (J&J) officials, alleging they” breached their fiduciary duties” in the handling of the recent McNeil Consumer Healthcare’s recall of children’s over-the-counter (OTC) medicines that happened earlier this month.
The lawsuits also allege that J&J paid illegal kickbacks, The Wall Street Journal reports. One of the lawsuits also claims that J&J officers “wasted” J&J assets, “unjustly enriched themselves,” and caused J&J to release “inaccurate and incomplete proxy statements,” the WSJ says.
According to The Washington Post, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform opened an investigation into the recent recall, specifically looking into the conflicting accounts of what had prompted the recall, as well as into McNeil’s handling of consumer complaints. The House Committee will also investigate reports from both McNeil and the FDA.
The children’s medicines recall was issued by McNeil on the basis that some drugs contained a higher concentration of active ingredient than is specified, others might have contained inactive ingredients that may not have met internal testing requirements, while others may have contained tiny particles.
The recalled medications include 43 varieties of Tylenol-brand medications for infants and children, Motrin Infant Drops, Children’s Motrin Suspensions, Children’s Zyrtec Liquid in Bottles, and Children’s Benadryl Allergy Liquid in Bottles. They have been recalled in 12 countries, including the US.
According to The Washington Post, the House Committee will ask the FDA for its procedures governing routine inspections of OTC drug makers and recalls.
