Drug watchdog urges Johnson & Johnson to boost quality control

Following repeated product recalls in China, the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) on Thursday called for pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson to strengthen quality management. CFDA figures show that the company has issued 33 recall orders since 2009, with the most recent two recalls made on April 23 and May 3 over the quality of their drug products. "Frequent recalls over quality concerns reflect possible flaws in the quality management system of Johnson & Johnson, and the company should carefully look into the sources of the issue... eliminate safety risks and ensure the quality of products for the market," said a CFDA statement released Thursday. The CFDA stressed that the company's China-based subsidiaries and their range of products for the Chinese market must strictly abide by the country's law and technological requirements, and any quality issues must be reported to supervision departments in a timely manner. "The nature and causes of a quality issue as well as ensuing risk control measures to be taken should be disclosed to the public honestly," the statement said, vowing strengthened supervision over the company. Meanwhile, the CFDA urged all China-based pharmaceutical enterprises to put product quality as a priority and take immediate action to recall products with quality defects while releasing relevant information to supervision departments as well as the public. The CFDA vowed "harsh measures," including banning the manufacture and sale of products in China, for companies responsible for late or secret product recalls.