PLAINTIFF WINS CASE AGAINST J&J, ALZA FOR TRANSDERMAL PATCH DEFECT

A Houston jury July 7 awarded $772,500 to the daughter of a woman who died in 2004 after using a fentanyl transdermal drug patch sold by Johnson & Johnson (J&J).

The jury found a manufacturing defect caused the patch to leak, leading to an overdose of the painkiller Fentanyl in the Duragesic patch made by J&J subsidiary Alza.

There are currently an estimated 100 lawsuits involving the Duragesic patch, according to reports. Janssen Phamaceutica in February 2004 initiated a nationwide recall of more than 2 million Duragesic patches because of the same defect.