Mom Blame’s Son’s Death on Duragesic

BUFFALO (CN) - A man died from an overdose of fentanyl in a Duragesic pain patch in February 2008, years after the defective product had first been recalled and two weeks after it had been recalled again, his mother claims in Federal Court.

Fentanyl, a synthetic opiod, can be up to 100 times more potent than morphine, Lucille Lilly says in her claim for the death of her son Charles Addison. The Duragesic patch was to deliver pain medication at a regulated rate, but it leaked and allowed an excess amount of fentanyl to be absorbed into the bloodstream, and was repeatedly recalled for this, according to the complaint.

Defendant Johnson & Johnson learned of the fatal defect in 2004, and 2 million patches were recalled, the complaint states. In 2008, some 38 million patches were recalled after the defendants - including Janssen Pharmaceutica and Alza Corp. - failed to fix the defect, the mother says.

She is represented by Brian Goldstein with Cellino & Barnes.

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