January 27, 2023

Senator Warren and Representatives Pressley, Clark, and Trahan Renew Request to Johnson & Johnson for Missing Data on Children’s Tylenol & Motrin Shortage

Text of Letter (PDF) | Text of Response (PDF)

Washington, D.C. — United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), along with Massachusetts Representatives Ayanna Pressley, Katherine Clark, and Lori Trahan, sent a follow up letter to Johnson & Johnson regarding the shortage of infant and children’s Tylenol and Motrin in Massachusetts and across the country. The lawmakers first wrote to Johnson & Johnson on January 12, 2023 requesting critical information to understand the company’s efforts to address and resolve the shortage.

In their response, Johnson & Johnson provided some insight into their increased production of the medicine and their communication with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but the company did not provide data on the regional and city-by-city impact of the medicine shortages, nor did they provide a date by which normal availability of product in Massachusetts would be restored.

“While your January 18th reply underscored your public statements about increased production, provided insight into the scale up of production based on forecasting models as early as April 2022, and clarified the timeline of communication with the FDA, key questions remain unanswered,” the lawmakers wrote in their follow-up letter to Johnson & Johnson.

As Massachusetts and regional consumers navigate the shortages, “it is essential that we are able to understand the scale and scope of this issue,” concluded the lawmakers. “This is pertinent not only for addressing the moment at hand but also for effectively working with industry in partnership with the FDA to ensure this crisis does not repeat itself during the next cold and flu season.”

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