The Food and Drug Administration did not issue a safety alert about Guidant's heart devices until five months after it was warned about problems with the product, according to a New York Times article Monday.

As early as February, the FDA received data showing the Indianapolis-based company's defibrillator product, the Ventak Prizm 2 DR, was short-circuiting. However, the FDA did not announce a recall of the device until July 1.

The latest report comes after many months of warnings about pharmaceutical products and accusations that the FDA has given soft treatment to companies.

College student Joshua Oukrop died in March after receiving a flawed device, during the period when the agency sat on the information.

Neither Guidant nor the FDA has immediate comment on the issue. The defibrillator devices are thought to have been implanted in around 46,000 patients.

Guidant recommends that doctors discontinue implants of several models of its defibrillators because a key switch in the device can become stuck, limiting its effectiveness in treating heart problems.