TRENTON, N.J. — Johnson & Johnson has issued its ninth recall of a consumer health product in a year, this time covering millions of 1 Day Acuvue contact lenses sold in Japan and two dozen other countries in Asia and Europe. None were sold in the United States or Canada.
Johnson & Johnson said yesterday that it had received a limited number of complaints about an unusual stinging or pain when customers inserted Acuvue TruEye Brand contact lenses. J&J, of New Brunswick, N.J., said it has not received any reports of customers suffering damage to their vision.
“The risk of long-term health consequences is very unlikely,’’ said Gary Esterow, spokesman for Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc.
He said the company estimates 100,000 boxes were affected, with the boxes containing either 30 or 90 lenses each.
Esterow attributed the problem to a failure of a piece of equipment during a procedure when the lenses are rinsed. One of the substances used in the manufacturing process was not entirely removed during the rinse.
He said only one manufacturing line was involved but would not say how many lines manufacture the contacts. The lenses are manufactured in Ireland.
The company has examined the manufacturing equipment, determined the cause of the problem, and corrected it, Esterow said.
J&J said some of the affected lenses had not been shipped and were destroyed.
Johnson & Johnson has issued eight recalls of nonprescription medicines in the United States since September, including children’s Tylenol and millions of bottles of other pain relievers and cold medicines for children and adults.
As a result, Johnson & Johnson has been under scrutiny by Congress, the Food and Drug Administration, and federal prosecutors.
Last week, Johnson & Johnson said it was creating a new position to oversee quality, manufacturing, and compliance issues across the company.
