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Johnson & Johnson has recently recalled more than 45 million units of over-the-counter drugs. It was the latest recall and it was said to be related to quality control.

The latest recall is said to be a result of a thorough examination and inspection of manufacturing records history. The company plans to continue its strategy to review practices at its manufacturing factories. The company also said that more recalls would be done if there are more issues in the future.

J&J recalled about 42.9 million bottles of Benadryl, Sinutab, Sudafed, and Tylenol products that were distributed in Brazil, the United States, and the Caribbean.

All the products were manufactured at McNeil Consumer Healthcare plant in Fort Washington before April 2010. when previous production records were reviewed, J&J found records, where there were inadequate equipment cleaning procedure, or poor documentation of cleaning process.

The company has lost millions of dollars in lost sales and related costs due to the recall.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently urged drug manufacturers to decrease the amount of acetaminophen in painkillers. This is to decrease cases of liver damage due to painkiller overdose.

Various prescription products, particularly powerful painkillers, usually contains higher levels of acetaminophen. The amount of acetaminophen in prescription painkillers should be less than 325 milligrams per capsule or tablet, the FDA says. This is especially for prescription drugs that are to be combined with other medications.

FDA is trying to make prescription drugs that contain acetamenophen safer for patients to take, particularly for patients that need combinations of strong painkillers to manage pain. Liver failure related to overdosing of acetamenophen take up at least half of the total liver failure cases in America.

FDA also requires drug companies to update prescription drugs labels with warning of potential risk for severe liver damage, particularly for medications that combine acetaminophen with other drugs.

The flu is returning in the form of a second wave and it appears the elderly are likely to be more at risk. This can prove to be quite serious since elderly people have an immune system that may not be strong enough to ward off the flu as effectively as someone of a much younger age.

More alarming is the fact the infection rate among older people seems to be higher than normal levels. This necessitates older individuals to take better precautions to prevent themselves from suffering from the condition.
Flu waves are not uncommon. Instances of second flu waves are not unprecedented although they are sometimes rare.

Among the current fears is that the new strain of flu could prove to be even stronger that prior strains. What makes this even more problematic is that fact that flu vaccines are in limited supplies and may be running out.

Older people that show signs of the flu are advised to contact health care practitioners if the condition worsens.

A $125 Million Buyout Interlace Medical Inc.

A major event has occurred in the medical technology industry. Hologic Inc., a major manufacturer of mammogram systems and other diagnostic tools for women’s health, has paid $125 million to purchase Interlace Medical Inc. This now establishes the Framingham, MA Hologic Inc. as the premiere supplier of medical equipment for women’s health in the United States.

The company’s current top selling product is the MyoSure hysteroscopic tissue removal system which is designed to eliminate polyps and fibroids. The ability to perform this procedure is an important part of providing countless women with proper medical treatment

The purchasing agreement is somewhat unique as it is a cash payment as opposed to a financed one. Additionally, the sale is rooted in two annual payments on a contingency basis based on annual growth. It is not clear how annual growth specifically factors into the final price for the sale.