FEDS SUBPOENA J&J OVER MARKETING PRACTICES

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has disclosed that three of its subsidiaries have received three separate subpoenas from the Boston, San Francisco and Philadelphia U.S. attorney's offices relating to marketing practices for Risperdal, Topamax and Natrecor.

"The subpoenas request information regarding Johnson & Johnson's corporate supervision and oversight of these three separate subsidiaries including their sales and marketing," J&J said last week.

The firm said it is cooperating with the authorities. Recently, J&J's Cordis unit received a letter from Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) related to off-label promotion for drug-coated stents.

The subpoenas are part of ongoing investigations conducted over the last few years. According SEC filings, the U.S. attorney's office in Boston originally subpoenaed J&J subsidiary Ortho-McNeil in December 2003 for off-label promotion of migraine-prevention and epilepsy drug Topamax (topiramate).

J&J subsidiary Janssen originally received a subpoena from the U.S. attorney's office in Philadelphia in November 2005 "seeking information about marketing of, and adverse reactions to, Risperdal."

The Office of Personnel Management also previously subpoenaed the company in January 2004 for "documents concerning sales and marketing of, any and all payments to physicians in connection with sales and marketing of, and clinical trials for" Risperdal (risperidone).