"'At every step in this process J&J has not been transparent,' says Don Riker, a consultant to OTC drug companies. 'Every bit of information is cagey, secretive, and micromanaged.'"

"'McNeil, has undergone a wrenching cultural change, and a quality-assurance department that crumbled as its mistakes were overlooked -- at times, some former employees say, deliberately.'"

click to read

An active ingredient in most of these pain-relief patches is menthol, which creates a warming sensation that jams the nervous system's receptors for pain, says Don Riker, president of On Point Advisors LLC, a healthcare consultant. "It's like wasabi to the skin," Mr. Riker says...

click to read

Donald Kay Riker, a consultant with On Point Advisors and publisher of the OTCProductNews.com blog, believes cost cutting and integration of the Pfizer brands may have helped lead to problems for J&J. He also believes the low status of quality-control executives may be playing a role in rising drug recalls generally…

click to read

“Sanofi-Aventis' $1.9 billion bid for OTC and personal care product firm Chattem offers the French firm a coveted toehold in the sizeable U.S. consumer health care market while also opening potential opportunities in emerging markets…”

click to read