Following years of litigation and FDA scrutiny, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, Ortho-McNeil, has removed the reservoir Duragesic fentanyl patch from the market. Duragesic is one of J&J's top-selling drugs with more than $2 billion in sales in 2005 alone. However, the reservoir design can cause leaks which has led to numerous recalls. Fentanyl is 100 times more potent than morphine and therefore a leaking patch can be fatal. 
Our Fentanyl Patch Litigation Team has successfully prosecuted wrongful death cases throughout the entire United States representing the families whose loved ones have died as a result of leaking Duragesic reservoir patches. The FDA has investigated more than 120 deaths that may have been caused by the dangerous patch. After nineteen years of marketing and selling the reservoir design to the general public, J&J has replaced the reservoir patch design with a "new" design that they allege does not leak. However, Johnson & Johnson's "new design" is not new. Johnson & Johnson has been using the matrix technology in Europe for years. Additionally, generic manufacturers of the fentanyl patch have been using the matrix technology in the United States for years.
If you suspect that a loved one may have died due to a leaking fentanyl patch, recalled or otherwise, contact our firm immediately to speak with a member of our Fentanyl Patch Litigation Team.
