• 21
  • October
    2011

In our previous post, we noted that Johnson & Johnson recently won a lawsuit in New Jersey brought by two men who claimed the pharmaceutical was responsible for tendon injuries brought on by the use of the antibiotic Levaquin. As we noted last time, the Ortho-McNeil-Janssen unit maintains that it acted appropriately in regard to the drug by adequately informing consumers of the risks associated with using Levaquin.

The plaintiffs in the case -67 and 72 years of age-were both prescribed the drug Levaquin to treat sinus infections that turned into bronchitis. As a result, both men ended up with Achilles tendon injuries that prevented them from walking and which required surgery.

Sources said the plaintiffs argued that officials in J&J's Ortho-McNeil-Janssen unit knew Levaquin posed the greatest risk among any of the antibiotics in its class, which in 2008 were required by the FDA to provide heightened warnings of the risks of tendon injury. Levaquin is in a class of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones, and these have been linked to increased risk of tendon injuries, especially for those over 60 and those taking steroids.

But attorneys for the Ortho-McNeil-Janssen unit argued that federal regulators didn't require the pharmaceutical to provide what has been called "comparative risk." According to the pharmaceutical, warnings related to tendon injury were provided as far back as 1996.

The New Jersey Jersey reportedly voted 8-1 that the Ortho-McNeil-Janssen unit's warnings were proper.

The suit was one of 2,600 claims which blame the drugmaker's unit for failing to provide adequate warning of the risk of tendon injury.

Source: Businessweek, "J&J Unit Cleared of Liability for Alleged Levaquin Injuries," Jef Feeley, October 14, 2011.