Congress Will Hold J&J Recall Hearing This Week
3 CommentsBy Ed Silverman // May 22nd, 2010 // 10:12 am
Despite a request by a fellow committee member to postpone a hearing into the Johnson & Johnson recall scandal, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform chair Edolphus Towns, a New York Democrat, is proceeding with plans to hold the session this coming Thursday, May 27.
You may recall earlier this week that Darrell Issa, the committee’s ranking member and a California Republican, asked Towns for a postponement because J&J ceo Bill Weldon is unable to atttend - he underwent back surgery the other day - and the FDA, meanwhile, has not yet completed its inspections of McNeil Consumer Healthcare facilities. J&J’s McNeil unit was cited for quality-control problems that affected about 40 over-the-counter meds for infants and children, and failed to properly follow up complaints that certain batches of its Tylenol Arthritis Relief Caplets had a musty smell (background here and here).
In arguing for a postponement, Issa wrote Towns; “It is my opinion that Mr. Weldon’s presence at this hearing is of the utmost importance, if for no other purpose than to restore brand confidence. According to credible sources, the McNeil manufacturing facilties presently under investigation may be ‘out of control’ and not following internal standard operating procedures, mess less FDA regulations. The parent company must be held accountable for the actions of its subsidiary and the only way to achieve this is by Mr. Weldon’s appearance before our committee.”
Towns, however, appears to believe that it’s best to strike while the iron is hot. And so he accepted a substitute for Weldon - Colleen Goggins, who heads J&J’s worldwide consumer healthcare business. The other person who was invited to testify is Josh Sharfstein, the FDA deputy commish. Towns had previously invited FDA commish Margaret Hamburg, and there was no reason given for the switch.
M. Black
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Bullshit. Carry his @$$ in on a stretcher. A weeks worth of coverup can go a very long way.
Mr. Bill, RISE and gather up your ackroutiments. The principal
would like to see you in his office. NOW!!!
MB
M. Black
Why is it that these (what I call pre-assigned “middle men” of manufacture and Quality testing) not put under the microscope? … An unethical setup of Plausable Deniability.
This is why when trying to address issues, it’s more of a fingerpointing game between the “parent” company, as well as the companies that they choose to use for services.
For example, parent company X may choose to enter into contracutal professional agreements (which, by the way is taken as the opportunity to jingle with cost, etc.) with company W, Y, or Z.
Parent company X after hearing of what they need to do, tells contracting company Z that they “will be able to accomodate their needs (wink included).” Parent company X, after meeting with W, and Y get the impression that they will be stringent in not allowing or not allowing certain known problems with poorly engineered, poor equipment, poor leaders, mgmt, refrigerator to control microbiological specimens and / or for incubation of test plates, etc., etc., and some more etc’s
No winkies.
Contracting company Z gets the job.
This is almost EXACTLY the type of poop that goes on.
Out Of Control is a compliment in many cases. McNeil’s efforts in getting contractually based company Z up to speed is ineffective so it seems.
Ed, Keep going on this.
Why burn leaves, when you have the means to pull our a faulty mesh of roots?
Best,
MB
M. Black
So, how’s the back doing?