teaser
US federal regulators have heaped more pressure on medical company Johnson & Johnson after a report criticised a factory in Pennsylvania.
The Food and Drug Administration report said problems were found at the company’s factory in Lancaster.
It follows on from the closure of another J&J factory in Fort Washington, Philadelphia, in April after problems with the manufacture of some drugs.
The factory was linked to eight recalls of Tylenol and other non-prescription drugs for children and adults.
Bosses at the company said they would be dealing with the latest criticisms as quickly as possible.
The news comes just before J&J releases its second-quarter earnings results, followed by a conference call with analysts who are sure to grill company executives about the repeated problems.
An FDA official two months ago told Congress the agency had broadened its investigation beyond the Fort Washington plant and also had turned the case over to its Office of Criminal Investigations.
The Lancaster plant is operated by a joint venture called J&J/Merck Consumer Pharmaceuticals Co. The business sells products, including heartburn medicine Pepcid, that were originally sold as prescription drugs and are now available in over-the-counter, lower-dose versions.
Copyright Press Association 2010
