NEW BRUNSWICK (dpa-AFX) - Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) doesn't expect to receive new supplies of its cancer drug Doxil from its sole supplier Ben Venue Laboratories until late 2012, at the earliest, the Wall Street Journal reported. Problems at Ben Venue Laboratories caused a shortage of the drug beginning about six months ago.
Johnson & Johnson will pursue other options to bring Doxil back to patients, including shifting production to another supplier, the Wall street Journal quoted JNJ spokeswoman Lisa Vaga as saying. Doxil treats ovarian and other cancers.
In meantime, Ben Venue Laboratories Inc, has announced its decision to extend the voluntary suspension of manufacturing at its Bedford, OH facility, originally announced on November 19, in order to permit the implementation of lasting corrective actions. The original suspension took place after an internal review indicated that routine preventive maintenance and requalification of some manufacturing equipment was overdue.
Ben Venue said that it is now in a position where it can no longer continue to manufacture and remediate simultaneously and must direct its focus on addressing manufacturing-related issues.
Ben Venue stated that it is now working to restore some manufacturing in the first quarter of 2012. However, Ben Venue anticipate that no products manufactured in the North facility will be available to patients and healthcare professionals before the fourth quarter of 2012.
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