Johnson & Johnson has built a health care empire. It includes prescription and over-the-counter drugs, orthopedic implants, surgical products and household products.
The most popular brands include Band-Aids, Tylenol and Johnson’s Baby Powder. Still, more than 90 percent of J&J’s revenue comes from prescription drugs and medical devices.
A Huffington Post investigation called J&J “America’s most admired lawbreaker.”
J&J has been at the center of scandals and government investigations. It has issued recalls of some of its drugs and devices.
Consumers harmed by J&J products are suing the company. They question the company’s motives and say it puts profits over people.
About Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson has over 125,000 employees spread across 60 countries. Its main headquarters is in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
J&J brought in more than $76 billion in 2017. It ranked No. 1 in annual revenue among its competitors.
Alex Gorsky is its CEO. He is the seventh CEO to head J&J.
Johnson & Johnson History
Robert, James and Edward Johnson founded Johnson & Johnson in 1886 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The company focused on bandages, sterile sutures and wound care.
The company also sold women’s health products. These included sanitary protection products. It also sold maternity kits with first-aid products to make childbirth safer.
J&J created the first commercial dressings applied by consumers. We know this product made in 1921 as Band-Aids.
Johnson & Johnson Subsidiaries
Johnson & Johnson is a parent company for over 250 subsidiaries. Together, the companies make up “the Johnson & Johnson family of companies.”
- McNeil
- Janssen
- Cilag
- LifeScan
- Biosense Webster
- DePuy
- Ethicon
- Actelion
- J&J Vision Care (Acuvue)
- Animas Corporation (OneTouch)
- Advanced Sterilization Products (ASP)
- Acclarent
- J&J Holdings
- Neutrogena
- Ortho
- Synthes
Popular Johnson & Johnson Products
Johnson & Johnson products fall into three categories. These include consumer health care products, medical devices and pharmaceutical drugs.
- Invokana
- sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor to treat Type 2 diabetes
- Tylenol
- pain reliever
- Levaquin
- fluoroquinolone antibiotic
- Risperdal
- antipsychotic drug
- Topamax
- medication used to prevent seizures and migraines
- Xarelto
- blood thinner
- Concerta
- ADHD drug
- Johnson's Baby Powder
- personal care product that contains talc
- Power Morcellators
- device used to remove fibroids
- Transvaginal Mesh
- net-like implant for treating pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence
- Hip Replacement
- artificial joint
- Knee Replacement
- artificial implant
Notable Johnson & Johnson Recalls
Johnson & Johnson recalled some of its most popular products after patients reported injuries. The FDA and other government agencies investigated.
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1982 - McNeil
Product Recalled - Tylenol (acetaminophen) capsules
Reason for Recall - Medicine laced with potassium cyanide (poison) resulting in several patient deaths
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2009 to 2011 - McNeil
Product Recalled - Several OTC medicines including Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl, St. Joseph aspirin, Sudafed, Pepcid, Mylanta, Rolaids, Zyrtec, Zyrtec Eye Drops (tens of millions of bottles)
Reason for Recall - Unpleasant smells causing nausea; tiny metal shards in liquid medicines; wrong ingredient levels
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2010 - DePuy [Pinnacle Systems]
Product Recalled - ASR Hip Resurfacing System and ASR XL Acetabular System (metal-on-metal hip implants)
Reason for Recall - Metal poisoning (metallosis); loosening of the implant or joint dislocation; additional surgeries
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2012 - Ethicon
Product Recalled - Gynecare Prolift Kit, Gynecare Prolift+M Kit, Gynecare TVT Secure and Gynecare Prosima Pelvic Floor Repair System Kit (transvaginal mesh implants)
Reason for Recall - Perforation of organs; vaginal bleeding and scarring; mesh erosion; severe pain
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2013 - McNeil
Product Recalled - Motrin (ibuprofen) for infants (200,000 liquid bottles)
Reason for Recall - May contain tiny particles of plastic
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2013 - Janssen
Product Recalled - Risperdal Consta (injectable antipsychotic drug) (one lot)
Reason for Recall - Routine testing showed evidence of mold
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2014 - Ethicon
Product Recalled - Power Morcellators
Reason for Recall - Spread of uterine cancer; rapid progression of the disease; death
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2016 - Ethicon
Product Recalled - Physiomesh flexible composite hernia mesh
Reason for Recall - Studies showed higher revision rates after implant
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2017 - SterilMed
Product Recalled - Agilis Steerable Introducer Sheath (hemostatic heart valve)
Reason for Recall - Device failure due to an improper seal of the sheath hub, which can allow blood leakage, device detachment during the procedure or development of an air embolism
Johnson & Johnson Lawsuits
J&J faced more than 100,000 lawsuits in March 2018 over claims its products are defective.
Lawsuits point to internal documents showing J&J and its subsidiaries knew about problems with their products but sold them anyway.
- DePuy ASR XL Acetabular System and DePuy ASR Hip Resurfacing System
Number of Lawsuits - More than 1,650
Injuries - dislocation, loosening, metallosis (metal poisoning), revision surgeries
- Pinnacle Acetabular Cup
Number of Lawsuits - More than 9,400
Injuries - dislocation, loosening, metallosis (metal poisoning), revision surgeries
- Pelvic (Transvaginal) Mesh
Number of Lawsuits - More than 24,000
Injuries - erosion, infection, pain, urinary problems, recurring prolapse, recurring incontinence
- Risperdal
Number of Lawsuits - 18,500
Injuries - enlargement of male breasts (gynecomastia), surgery to remove male breasts, emotional injuries, diminished quality of life
- Xarelto
Number of Lawsuits - More than 20,300
Injuries - severe, sometimes deadly bleeding events, blood clots, wound leaks, infection
- Johnson’s Talcum Powder
Number of Lawsuits - More than 6,550
Injuries - ovarian cancer, mesothelioma cancer
- Opioids (Duragesic, Nucynta and Nucynta ER)
Number of Lawsuits - More than 430
Injuries - addiction, overdose, respiratory depression, respiratory failure, death
Major Johnson & Johnson Verdicts and Settlements
J&J was involved in seven of 2017’s top ten health-care-related verdicts.
The company was also involved in the third-largest pharmaceutical settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice. In 2013, J&J paid the Justice Department more than $2.2 billion. The settlement resolved civil and criminal allegations involving Risperdal, Invega and Natrecor.
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February 2016
A jury in Missouri ordered J&J to pay $72 million in a Johnson’s Baby Powder case. An appeals court tossed the verdict in 2017.
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March 2016
A jury in Texas awarded five patients $500 million in a Pinnacle hip implant case. State law required the award be cut to $150 million.
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December 2016
A jury awarded $1 billion to six patients in a Pinnacle hip implant case. A judge slashed the award to $543 million.
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April 2017
A jury in Philadelphia ordered J&J to pay $20 million in a transvaginal mesh lawsuit.
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May 2017
A jury in Missouri awarded $110.5 million to a woman who developed ovarian cancer after using Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower talcum powder. J&J planned to appeal the verdict.
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May 2017
J&J paid $33 million to most U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The states charged J&J with misrepresenting the manufacturing practices behind certain drugs. This included its Motrin products. These products were later recalled.
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August 2017
A California jury ordered J&J to pay $417 million in a Johnson’s Baby Powder and talcum powder case. A trial judge overturned the verdict in October 2017 and ordered a new trial.
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November 2017
A federal jury in Dallas ordered J&J to pay six patients $247 million in a Pinnacle hip implant case. J&J said it planned to appeal the verdict.
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December 2017
A federal jury in Philadelphia ordered J&J to pay $27.8 million in a Xarelto bleeding lawsuit. A judge overturned the verdict in 2018.
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December 2017
A New Jersey federal jury issued a verdict of $15 million against J&J in a Prolift pelvic mesh case.
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March 2018
An Indiana jury awarded a woman $35 million in a Prolift pelvic mesh case. J&J planned to appeal the verdict.
Please seek the advice of a medical professional before making health care decisions.
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Manufacturers Overview
- Abbott Laboratories
- AbbVie Inc
- Allergan
- AstraZeneca
- Atrium
- Bayer
- Boehringer Ingelheim
- Boston Scientific
- Bristol-Myers Squibb
- C.R. Bard
- Coloplast
- Cook Medical
- Daiichi Sankyo
- Eli Lilly & Co.
- Endo International and American Medical Systems
- Ethicon
- GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
- Johnson & Johnson
- Merck & Co.
- Pfizer
- Stryker Corporation
- Takeda Pharmaceuticals
