J&J; Reports Two More Natrecor Recipients Died

Johnson & Johnson reported two additional deaths of patients who received its Natrecor heart- failure drug, a medicine the company cautioned in August should be used in limited cases.

The fatalities bring to seven the number of deaths reported in patients taking Natrecor during a study, the New Brunswick, N.J.-based company said. The earlier deaths were attributed to causes including liver cancer and worsening of heart failure, a company spokesman said.

J&J; is still investigating the causes of the two additional cases and why they weren’t reported to the company earlier, the spokesman said. The added deaths came to light in an extended analysis the Food and Drug Administration had requested of the study results.