Ore. AG Sues J&J Over Alleged Motrin Recall Delay

Oregon Attorney General John Kroger has sued Johnson & Johnson and two subsidiaries, claiming consumers were exposed to defective supplies of Motrin by a delay in public disclosure of a recall.

Kroger said the health care products companies tried to quietly remove Motrin from store shelves in a “phantom recall” without telling consumers. The action has been the subject of a congressional investigation.

The attorney general said Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiaries discovered in late 2008 that supplies of Motrin sold in 8- and 24-caplet containers failed to dissolve properly. As a result, consumers might not receive the expected dose of ibuprofen, which could lead to “a worsening of pain, fever or inflammation.”

A call and e-mail to Johnson & Johnson were not immediately returned.