McNeil Consumer Healthcare is an American medicals products company belonging to the

Johnson & Johnson Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is an American multinational corporation founded in 1886 that develops medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and consumer packaged goods. Its common stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the company i ...

healthcare Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health profe ...

products group. It primarily sells

fast-moving consumer goods Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), also known as consumer packaged goods (CPG), are products that are sold quickly and at a relatively low cost. Examples include non-durable household goods such as packaged foods, beverages, toiletries, cand ...

such as

over-the-counter drugs Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are medicines sold directly to a consumer without a requirement for a prescription from a healthcare professional, as opposed to prescription drugs, which may be supplied only to consumers possessing a valid prescr ...

History

The company was founded on March 16, 1879, by 23-year-old Robert McNeil, who paid $167 for a

drugstore A pharmacy (also called "drugstore" in American English or "community pharmacy" or "chemist" in Commonwealth English, or rarely, apothecary) is a retail shop which provides pharmaceutical drugs, among other products. At the pharmacy, a pharmacis ...

complete with fixtures, inventory and

soda fountain A soda fountain is a device that dispenses carbonated soft drinks, called fountain drinks. They can be found in restaurants, concession stands and other locations such as convenience stores. The device combines flavored syrup or syrup concent ...

, as a retail

pharmacy Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it links heal ...

, in the

Kensington Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West End of London, West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up b ...

section of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Robert McNeil was a graduate of the

Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

(

University of the Sciences in Philadelphia University of the Sciences in Philadelphia (University of the Sciences or USciences) was a private university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. USciences offered bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in pharmacy and other health-related dis ...

). In 1904, one of McNeil's sons, Robert Lincoln McNeil, became part of the company and together they created McNeil Laboratories in 1933. The company would focus on

direct marketing Direct marketing is a form of communicating an offer, where organizations communicate directly to a pre-selected customer and supply a method for a direct response. Among practitioners, it is also known as ''direct response marketing''. B ...

of prescription drugs to hospitals, pharmacists, and doctors. Development of

acetaminophen Paracetamol, also known as acetaminophen, is a medication used to treat fever and mild to moderate pain. Common brand names include Tylenol and Panadol. At a standard dose, paracetamol only slightly decreases body temperature; it is inferior ...

began under the leadership of

Robert L. McNeil, Jr. Robert Lincoln McNeil Jr. (July 13, 1915 – May 20, 2010) was an American chemist and pharmaceutical industry executive. He was responsible for, among other things, the commercial development, naming, and introduction of the pain reliever T ...

, who later served as the firm's chairman. In 1953 McNeil Laboratories introduced Algoson, a preparation containing

together with sodium

butabarbital Butabarbital (brand name Butisol) is a prescription barbiturate Sedative, sleep aid and anxiety medication. Butabarbital has a particularly fast onset of effects and short duration of action compared to other barbiturates, which makes it useful ...

, a

sedative A sedative or tranquilliser is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or excitement. They are CNS depressants and interact with brain activity causing its deceleration. Various kinds of sedatives can be distinguished, but t ...

. In 1955, McNeil Laboratories introduced Tylenol Elixir for children, containing only acetaminophen. In 1959,

acquired McNeil Laboratories and a year later the company was able to sell

Tylenol Tylenol may refer to: * Paracetamol (acetaminophen), a medication used to treat pain and fever * Tylenol (brand) Tylenol () is a brand of medication, advertised for reducing pain, reducing fever, and relieving the symptoms of allergies, cold, ...

for the first time ever, without a prescription. In 1961, the company moved into its

Fort Washington, Pennsylvania Fort Washington is a census-designated place and suburb of Philadelphia in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,446 at the 2010 census. History Prior to the Revolutionary War the Fort Washington area was settle ...

headquarters. Along with its Fort Washington plant, McNeil also has plants worldwide. In 1977, two companies were created: McNeil Medical Products and McNeil Consumer Products Company or McNeil Consumer Healthcare. The focus of McNeil Medical Products was to market prescription drugs. Another major development in 1977 was that entrepreneur Alan Kligerman started to market a lactase supplement he originally called LactAid. In early 1991, Kligerman licensed the Lactaid brand (note the change of capitalization) to McNeil. Johnson & Johnson "poured millions into slick packaging and advertising," and turned Lactaid into its fastest-growing brand during the 1990s. Available through

ProQuest ProQuest LLC is an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based global information-content and technology company, founded in 1938 as University Microfilms by Eugene B. Power. ProQuest is known for its applications and information services for libraries, provid ...

. In 1993, McNeil Medical Products merged with

Ortho Pharmaceutical Ortho Pharmaceutical was initially formed in the United States in 1931 as a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson to market the first prescription spermicidal contraceptive jelly, ''Ortho-Gynol''. History In the 1940s, Ortho introduced the coil-s ...

to form

Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical The company was formed from the merger of Ortho Pharmaceutical and McNeil Pharmaceutical in 1993. Both of these pharmaceutical companies are pioneers and leaders in areas such as pain management, acid reflux disease, and infectious diseases. Or ...

. In 2001, McNeil Consumer Healthcare changed its name to McNeil Consumer & Specialty Medical Products. However, it was changed again and is now known as "McNeil Consumer Healthcare". In 2018, Johnson & Johnson changed the name of the McNeil facility in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania to Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. As part of Procter & Gamble's acquisition of Gillette in 2005, Procter & Gamble's Gillette was required by the

Federal Trade Commission The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is an independent agency of the United States government whose principal mission is the enforcement of civil (non-criminal) antitrust law and the promotion of consumer protection. The FTC shares jurisdiction ov ...

to divest itself of

Rembrandt toothpaste Rembrandt toothpaste is an American brand of toothpaste. History In 1990, the Rembrandt toothpaste brand was developed and owned by closely held Den-Mat Corp, which had been founded in 1974 by dentist Dr. Robert Ibsen. In 2003, it had about $73 ...

. Consequently, it sold Rembrandt to

's McNeil-PPC division. That year, Rembrandt had sales that likely exceeded $100 million. The company markets

over-the-counter Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are medicines sold directly to a consumer without a requirement for a prescription from a healthcare professional, as opposed to prescription drugs, which may be supplied only to consumers possessing a valid prescr ...

and prescription medicals products including complete lines of

and

Motrin Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is used for treating pain, fever, and inflammation. This includes painful menstrual periods, migraines, and rheumatoid arthritis. It may also be used to close a patent ductus arte ...

IB (

ibuprofen Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is used for treating pain, fever, and inflammation. This includes painful menstrual periods, migraines, and rheumatoid arthritis. It may also be used to close a patent ductus arte ...

) products for adults and children. The company is located in

, and currently employs 2,600 people. Annual sales in 2004 were US $2.1 billion. McNeil's Canadian head office is in

Markham, Ontario Markham () is a city in the Regional Municipality of York, Ontario, Canada. It is approximately northeast of Downtown Toronto. In the 2021 Census, Markham had a population of 338,503, which ranked it the largest in York Region, fourth largest ...

. In 2022, Johnson & Johnson unveiled Wednesday, September 28 the name for its New Consumer Health Company that is being spun off: Kenvue. The name, pronounced ken-view, comes from the English word "ken," which is primarily used on Scotland and means knowledge, and "vue," which references sight. Kenvue, which will become a standalone company in 2023, will include in its portfolio brands such as Band-Aid, Aveeno, Listerine, Tylenol and Neutrogena

McNeil Nutritionals

McNeil Nutritionals, LLC markets and sells a range of products including

Lactaid Lactase is an enzyme produced by many organisms. It is located in the brush border of the small intestine of humans and other mammals. Lactase is essential to the complete digestion of whole milk; it breaks down lactose, a sugar which gives mi ...

, and

Benecol Benecol is a brand of cholesterol-lowering food products owned by the Finnish company Raisio Group, which owns the trademark. Raisio Group licenses the Benecol brand and sells the ingredient stanol ester to food companies around the world. The bra ...

in the UK, Ireland, Belgium, and in the US under license from

Raisio Group Raisio Oyj, known internationally as Raisio Group, is a Finnish company specialised in healthy, responsibly produced food and ingredients. Raisio Group's well-known international brands are Benecol and Elovena. Benecol foods were launched in F ...

. In June 2007, McNeil became involved in lawsuits with

Merisant Merisant Company is an American manufacturer of zero/low-calorie Sugar substitute, sugar substitutes. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of MacAndrews & Forbes and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Merisant markets brands in over 90 countries inc ...

, the makers of the artificial sweetener

Equal Equal(s) may refer to: Mathematics * Equality (mathematics). * Equals sign (=), a mathematical symbol used to indicate equality. Arts and entertainment * ''Equals'' (film), a 2015 American science fiction film * ''Equals'' (game), a board game ...

. McNeil was the maker of sucralose (

Splenda Splenda is a global brand of sugar substitutes and reduced-calorie food products. While the company is known for its original formulation containing sucralose, it also manufactures items using natural sweeteners such as stevia, monk fruit and ...

) sweetener at the time of the lawsuit with

. It also produced a sweetener made with

stevia Stevia () is a natural sweetener and sugar substitute derived from the leaves of the plant species ''Stevia rebaudiana'', native to Paraguay and Brazil. The active compounds are steviol glycosides (mainly stevioside and rebaudioside), which h ...

and cane

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...

, marketed as Sun Crystals. In 2012, it started to sell a

monk fruit ''Siraitia grosvenorii'', also known as monkfruit or ''luohan guo'', is a herbaceous perennial vine of the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. It is native to southern China. The plant is cultivated for its fruit extract, called mogrosides, which creat ...

-based sweetener called

Nectresse A sugar substitute is a food additive that provides a sweetness like that of sugar while containing significantly less food energy than sugar-based sweeteners, making it a zero-calorie () or low-calorie sweetener. Artificial sweeteners may be d ...

.Christopher Adams (Aug 28, 2012)
US launch sweet news for kiwi supplier
''

The New Zealand Herald ''The New Zealand Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand, owned by New Zealand Media and Entertainment, and considered a newspaper of record for New Zealand. It has the largest newspaper circulation of all newspapers ...

Johnson & Johnson Merck Joint Venture

Known as the "JV," this 50/50

joint venture A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to acces ...

between

and

Merck Merck refers primarily to the German Merck family and three companies founded by the family, including: * the Merck Group, a German chemical, pharmaceutical and life sciences company founded in 1668 ** Merck Serono (known as EMD Serono in the Unite ...

handled the OTC product lines Pepcid,

Mylanta Mylanta is a brand of over-the-counter drugs for digestive problems, manufactured by Infirst Healthcare USA under license from McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a division of Johnson & Johnson (formerly Pfizer since 2007 following its acquisition). It i ...

, and

Mylicon Simeticone (INN), also known as simethicone (USAN), is an anti-foaming agent used to reduce bloating, discomfort or pain caused by excessive gas. Medical uses Simeticone is used to relieve the symptoms of excessive gas in the gastrointestinal ...

and is located at the McNeil Consumer Healthcare headquarters in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. In September 2011, however, the JV ended, when Merck sold its 50 percent interest in the joint venture. Merck said it sold its interest in the joint venture so it could focus on building the consumer products division it gained through its acquisition of

Schering-Plough Schering-Plough Corporation was an American pharmaceutical company. It was originally the U.S. subsidiary of the German company Schering AG, which was founded in 1851 by Ernst Christian Friedrich Schering. As a result of nationalization, it becam ...

in 2009. By terminating the joint venture, Merck said it will have greater freedom to exploit opportunities to switch prescription medicines to over-the-counter products that can be purchased without a doctor's prescription. As a result, all former Johnson & Johnson-Merck products are now handled by McNeil Consumer Healthcare.

1982 Chicago Tylenol murders

In 1982, seven people were murdered in Chicago by Tylenol pills, manufactured by McNeil Consumer Healthcare, which had been tampered with after manufacture and placed on the store shelves.

2010 product recall

After serious quality and safety violations were found in 2010 at Johnson & Johnson's McNeil Consumer Healthcare plant in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, numerous medicines were recalled. The Food and Drug Administration issued a report outlining 20 violations, including "filthy" conditions, bacteria that contaminated medicine supply drums and the plant "does not maintain adequate laboratory facilities for the testing and approval (or rejection) of components of drug products." In April 2010, McNeil Consumer Healthcare recalled 43 over-the-counter children's medicines.

Zyrtec Cetirizine, sold under the brand name Zyrtec among others, is a second-generation antihistamine used to treat allergic rhinitis (hay fever), dermatitis, and urticaria (hives). It is taken by mouth. Effects generally begin within thirty minutes a ...

and

Benadryl Benadryl is a brand of various antihistamine medications used to stop allergies, whose content varies in different countries, but which includes some combination of diphenhydramine, acrivastine, and/or cetirizine. It is sold by Johnson & Johnso ...

products were affected.

References

External links

About Tylenol/McNEIL
-

McNeil Product Recall homepage

Complete list of affected products
from McNeil's website (April 2010)

retrieved June 2, 2010 {{J&J Pharmaceutical companies established in 1879 Companies based in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Pharmaceutical companies of the United States Johnson & Johnson subsidiaries 1879 establishments in Pennsylvania Health care companies based in Pennsylvania 1959 mergers and acquisitions