Product News and Recalls

J&J baby powder contaminated with carcinogen

According to a story in the International Business Times, a batch of baby powder from a Johnson & Johnson plant in India was found to be contaminated with a carcinogen. That finding prompted the Food and Drug Administration to cancel Johnson & Johnson’s license to manufacture the powder at that plant.

In recent years, Johnson & Johnson has been obliged to recall nearly 300 million packages of over-the-counter medications, including Motrin, children’s Tylenol liquid and Benadryl.

The company has also faced some high-profile problems with its medical devices. In 2010, the company’s DePuy Orthopedics unit recalled two popular artificial hip replacement models, both of which feature a ball and a socket coated in a combination of cobalt and chromium.

In the first of about 10,000 lawsuits, a jury recently awarded $8.3 million to a man injured by one of those implants. Several studies show that nearly half of the implants break down and need replacement within six years, as well as having a tendency to shed toxic metal debris in patients’ bodies.

In a separate case, another jury awarded $11.1 million to a woman injured by a vaginal mesh implant that Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon division manufactured. That case represented the first of more than 11,000 lawsuits about the devices to go to trial, filed by women complaining of health problems that include infection, organ perforation and chronic pain.

According to the story, 15 batches of baby powder produced at the plant were found to contain the compound ethylene oxide, which is classified as a carcinogen and an irritant. The story quotes as FDA official as saying the compound was used for sterilization, but the company failed to adequately test for residue afterward.

You should consult with a doctor if you have any ongoing symptoms or health concerns from a Johnson & Johnson product. If you have significant injuries, you should also consult with a DePuy hip or transvaginal mesh lawyer to discuss your legal rights.

See the story here:

https://au.ibtimes.com/articles/463154/20130501/cosmetic-brand-johnson-license-cancer-causing-baby.htm#.UYErLUrovZE