Johnson & Johnson agreed to pay $9.9 million to settle claims by the state of Kentucky that the company misrepresented the risks of vaginal-mesh products used to bolster sagging organs and treat incontinence in women.
(Bloomberg) — Johnson & Johnson agreed to pay $9.9 million to settle claims by the state of Kentucky that the company misrepresented the risks of vaginal-mesh products used to bolster sagging organs and treat incontinence in women.
J&J, the world’s largest maker of health-care products, said its Ethicon unit reached a deal with Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron earlier this month to resolve allegations its vaginal-mesh devices injured women in the state.
The deal is part of J&J’s effort to wrap up more than a decade of litigation by thousands of women who claim the products — threaded into place through incisions in the vagina — eroded over time, causing pain and injuries.
J&J has now agreed to pay more than $125 million to resolve claims by states about its mesh marketing. The US Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to hear its appeal of a $302 million award against the company for misrepresenting the risks of vaginal-mesh implants to California consumers.
“The settlement involves no admission of liability or misconduct, and the company remains committed to meeting the current and future needs of health care providers and patients,” the company said in an emailed statement on the Kentucky claims.
A trial had been slated for May over the state’s contention more than 15,000 Kentucky women had meshes inserted without having J&J properly disclose the health risks.
“Patients suffer when medical device manufacturers, like Ethicon, fail to provide accurate information to health-care providers and patients about the risks associated with their products,” Cameron said in a release.
The case is Commonwealth of Kentucky v. Johnson & Johnson, No. 16-CI-867, Franklin County Circuit Court (Frankfort).
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