Johnson and Johnson withdraw infant’s cough and cold products

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has announced that McNeil Consumer Healthcare is voluntarily withdrawing infant’s cough and cold products, citing rare instances of misuse leading to overdose, particularly with children under two years old.

McNeil-PPC, a J&J company, confirmed that the medicine was both safe and effective but following assessment of data on the use of its cough and cold medicines some concerns were raised when the medicines were misused and dosing directions were ignored.

A number of medicines are being removed from the US market including varying forms of Tylenol and Pediacare products.

Ashley McEvoy, president of McNeil Consumer Healthcare confirmed that the company’s voluntary action underscored its commitment to the appropriate use of medicines by parents and doctors.

“In addition to taking this voluntary action, McNeil Consumer Healthcare, along with our industry partners, supports the Consumer Healthcare Products Association recommendations that were recently submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).”

He illustrated that the recommendations also included label changes to over-the-counter cough and cold medicines advising ‘do not use’ in children under two years of age.

Earlier this year J&J announced a number of plans to restructure the firm with the aim of achieving annual cost savings of $1.3-$1.6 billion (642-790 million pounds) while guaranteeing continued growth in the future and ongoing investment in business opportunities.