The political maneuvering around the J&J scandal is intensifying. The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform wants Johnson & Johnson ceo Bill Weldon to testify at a May 27 hearing to explain the reasons for a slew of product recalls. So far, though, the health care giant has been coy about whether he will actually appear. For now, Weldon's public responses have been confined to a contrite blog post and a brief video interview (see here).
So Darrell Issa, the committee's ranking member and a California Republican, has asked committee chair Edolphus Towns to postpone the hearing for two reasons: Issa hears that Weldon may not be able to appear and the FDA, meanwhile, has not yet completed its inspections of McNeil Consumer Healthcare facilities. This is what Issa wrote in a letter today to 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," he writes.
When we receive a reply from J&J, we will update you. UPDATE: J&J writes back to say Weldon had back surgery today and so he may not be able to travel to DC next week. Instead, J&J is prepared to send Colleen Goggins, who heads the worldwide consumer group. Weldon would still be willing to "communicate" with the committee after he recovers.
5 Comments
Reading not even between the lines on this I'm seeing Rep. Issa argue that Mr. Weldon needs a chance to testify to the committee in order to restore "brand confidence" for "pediatricians and parents." I'm a pediatrician, and I have always advised parents NOT to buy brand name OTC remedies. They are more expensive without justification, and many are untested/unproven for treating children (especially under age 6) and without benefits overriding risks.
Rep Issa's point that the FDA has not finished their review is a good point. (I suppose that if they wait until actual facts-or at least "the official version"- are available there is a risk that the "crisis" will have been forgotten - greatly diminishing the chance for television exposure.) I would rather see the committee limit their questions to the pertinent point of why there was failure to provide proper oversight of manufacturing safe and effective medications for consumers. I don't think that providing an opportunity to put a smiley face on this event is the duty of the committee.
In my opinion, the point of the hearing (if any) should be to determine if: 1)the FDA is failing to meet their responsibility under the law (not only the letter, but also the intent of the law), or 2) if J&J should be accused of insufficient federal oversight/regulation, neglegence or malfeasance. If I were Weldon, I think I would continue to be "unavailable." Both purposes may be better accomplished in the executive branch than in Congress.
This is why God invented the subpoena.
Congress has recently shown an appetite for, very publicly, getting to grips with serious issues. The public really welcomes this change in attitude; their representatives are actually doing their jobs and visibly representing us, (the little guys with no *voice*), on these issues of real public concern, instead of having steam-letting sessions behind closed doors. Expect persistent calls for the CEO to come in and face the *transparency* music.....
J & J's outside counsel and PR people may have higher than normal billables. I wonder if in retrospect, the short term and long term costs associated with J & J's quality control issues will outweigh the short term increase in profits that were obtained as likely result of their cost cutting...in the case of Weldon and board members, who wants to bet that they are busy asking corp and outside counsel about claw back regulations and rights...
J&J's increase in profits is from medical devices, Prolene polypropylene mesh (synthetic surgical mesh used for hernia repair, bladder suspension and pelvic organ prolapse)is one of them. The mesh kills or seriously harms people. Do they care? No. But they sure make a HUGE profit on it.
Who says they are cost cutting? They can't keep dirt out of medicine? Please don't give them credit for something so ridiculous as cost cutting as the cause for their dirt. They simply don't care.
Lana Keeton Truth in Medicine Patient Advocate