Capsule Tampering Found in Contac, 2 Other Drugs

The manufacturer of three major drug products--Contac, Dietac and Teldrin--called on retailers to remove the capsules from shelves Thursday after “several” discoveries of tampering in Texas and Florida.

Alan Wachter, a spokesman for SmithKline Beckman Corp. of Philadelphia, said investigators discovered shredded packaging and capsules that had been emptied and filled with cornstarch in stores in Houston and Orlando, Fla., after an anonymous caller vowed to tamper with the products to demonstrate that such capsules are unsafe and should not be sold over the counter.

“He has called several times and said vague things about capsules being unsafe and how he is going to use SmithKline to make that point,” Wachter said. “ . . . There is no evidence of any toxic or poisonous substances, nor have we had any reports of individual injuries by anyone. But obviously this is something not to be imprudent about, and so we think the prudent thing to do is tell people not to use them.”

Products Removed

The caller said he had targeted specific stores in Houston, Orlando, Chicago and St. Louis. Wachter said the products were removed from those stores, although no tampering has yet been discovered in Chicago or St. Louis.

The company has called on consumers not to use any products purchased since Saturday. “Taking this gentleman at his word, he said he started doing this over the last four days, and if that’s true, March 15 would be the day he began,” Wachter said.

He stressed that the products have not yet been recalled. He said stores are being asked to “put a temporary hold” on the products pending further laboratory tests. “It depends on what they find before we decide what to do next,” Wachter said.

Contac is a capsule used to treat cold symptoms. Dietac is a diet aid, and Teldrin is an allergy medicine. Wachter said the company will make arrangements for consumers to be reimbursed for the products.

“I gather they are very confident that it is one person” responsible for the tampering, Wachter said. “He apparently called several police departments in the four cities, also television stations, and, I assume, the print media as well. We have had calls from several Texas television stations.”

Cut With Razor Blade

Wachter said the company alerted the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday, and the tampering was confirmed Thursday. Several packages had been cut with a razor blade, he said.

Another source close to the investigation said the caller indicated in some conversations that he had a grudge against the company but declined to give any motivation in other calls.

“In the wake of the Tylenol tragedy, we responded immediately,” Wachter said.

Eight people have died from taking Extra-Strength Tylenol capsules that had been laced with cyanide. Seven of the poisonings occurred in the Chicago area in 1982, and the other in Yonkers, N.Y., in February. Johnson & Johnson, the maker of Tylenol, has since discontinued making products in capsule form.

Jack Martin, an FDA spokesman, read a statement from SmithKline and referred questions to the FBI. But he confirmed that the agency had tested the tampered products and found “no evidence of poisoning.”