Uncovering the Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson
Renowned journalist Gardiner Harris discusses unethical business practices in No More Tears, the Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson.
Johnson’s Baby Powder was as American as apple pie. The company counted on the emotional associations with its baby products. The fragrance of its Baby Powder was linked to feelings of love and security. That was smart ...
marketing.Continuing to sell a product contaminated with asbestos was something else, though. How did the company deal with this problem? And what did it tell the FDA?
Not all of the company’s business decisions are so laudable, and most are not so well-known. Few people are aware that the Johnson & Johnson company developed fentanyl, a potent opioid. It was originally invented by Dr. Paul Janssen, head of Janssen Pharmaceutica. When J&J acquired Janssen, it also acquired the rights to
fentanyl, which it sold in a transdermal formulation as Duragesic. According to our guest, the company initially presented it to physicians as a non-addicting pain reliever. You are no doubt aware that is far from the case.