Mylan steps into pain-patch void

Color Mylan vindicated. When Johnson & Johnson recalled one of its popular Duragesic painkiller patches two weeks ago, the FDA called on the generics maker to help fulfill demand. Of course Mylan agreed--and in doing so has been touting its patch technology.

You see, the J&J patches were recalled because of potential problems with their drug reservoirs. This type of delivery system is sometimes referred to as a "ravioli" patch because the active gel is stored in the middle of the adhesive. In some of the recalled patches, the reservoirs were leaking, raising the risk of overdose.

Mylan's patch, however, uses a "matrix" design that embeds the active ingredient within the adhesive, so leakage isn't an issue. The company has been pointing out the risks of reservoir patches for years, a spokeswoman told the Wall Street Journal Health Blog. Now, as the blog notes, Mylan gets to say it told you so.

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