Several Attorneys General announced a major settlement with Johnson & Johnson last week on faulty mesh that caused hundreds of people harm, according to a report from Reuters. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul along with 40 other attorneys general announced a multi-state settlement requiring Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary Ethicon Inc., to pay nearly $116.9 million for deceptive marketing of transvaginal surgical mesh devices.
Transvaginal mesh is a net-like implant used to treat stress urinary incontinence and repair pelvic organ prolapse in women. After receiving reports of serious complications, such as vaginal mesh erosion, scarring, incontinence after surgery, and organ perforation, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2016 classified pelvic organ prolapse devices as high risk. In April of this year, the FDA ordered manufacturers to stop selling the products immediately.
Illinois will receive more than $3.8 million under the settlement, according to a press release from Raoul’s office. A multi-state investigation found the companies violated state consumer protection laws by misrepresenting the safety and effectiveness of the devices and failing to sufficiently disclose risks associated with their use. According to a New York Times report, Boston Scientific has already paid out over $180 million in settlements for the mesh in the last year.