House Seeks J&J Chief's Testimony at Hearing on Recall

By JONATHAN D. ROCKOFF

A House committee has asked Johnson & Johnson Chief Executive William Weldon to testify at a coming hearing on the company's recent recall of over-the-counter children's medicines.

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform plans to hold a hearing May 27 on the recall of certain Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl and Zyrtec bottles for children and infants. The committee is investigating the company's response to consumer complaints of foreign matter in certain products and the adequacy of regulators' inspections.

The Oversight Committee's invitation said the hearing "will examine the circumstances surrounding your recall of over 40 variations of infant and children's medicines."

Mr. Weldon posted a letter to customers on J&J's blog May 7 expressing "great concern" about the recall by the company's McNeil Consumer Healthcare unit. "You can be confident that we will make whatever changes are needed at McNeil to fully restore the quality of manufacturing," he wrote.

A J&J spokesman said the company is "communicating with the committee and will respond appropriately" to its request.

The Food and Drug Administration says the chance of harm from the recalled products is remote but is warning parents not to use them. J&J has suspended all manufacturing at the Fort Washington, Pa., plant that made the products. FDA inspectors on a routine inspection of the plant found bacteria in raw materials to be used to make several lots of Tylenol products for children and infants.

Write to Jonathan D. Rockoff at jonathan.rockoff@wsj.com

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