Novartis Takes $120M Hit With Plant Closure, Possible Pill Mix-Up

By Lori Clapper, Editor

Novartis announced Sunday that it is voluntarily recalling four over-the-counter (OTC) medications following consumer complaints of broken gelcaps and chipped tablets, as well as “inconsistent bottle packaging line clearance practices, where a potential for a tablet mix-up could not be ruled out.” The recall, combined with last month’s related closure of the Novartis Consumer Health plant in Lincoln, NE — where the OTC drugs were manufactured and shipped — is expected to cost the company $120 million before taxes.

The recall includes Excedrin and NoDoz products with expiration dates before December 20, 2014, and Bufferin and Gas-X Prevention products that expire December 20, 2013 or earlier.

The company didn’t announce the exact number of tablets and gelcaps affected. No adverse events were reported from the recalled medicines, according to a Bloomberg Businessweek report.

These events come on the heels of other Novartis manufacturing troubles. In November 2011, the company’s Sandoz facilities received a warning letter for improper cleaning procedures and other cGMP violations.