46 Attorneys General reach $120 million settlement with J&J over hip implants
New York Attorney General Letitia James said Tuesday that she and 45 other Attorneys General have reached a $120 million settlement with Johnson & Johnson to resolve allegations that the company unlawfully promoted its metal-on-metal hip implant devices. Specifically, J&J's DePuy business "engaged in unfair and deceptive practices in its promotion of the ASR XL and Pinnacle Ultamet hip implant devices by making misleading claims as to the longevity, also known as survivorship, of metal-on-metal hip implants," James said in a statement. DePuy advertised that the ASR LX hip implant had a survivorship rate of 99.2% at three years, when the National Joint Registry of England and Wales reported a 7 percent revision rate at three years. Patients who needed implant revision surgery to replace failed implants suffered groin pain, allergic reactions, tissue necrosis and a build-up of metal ions in the blood. The ASR XL was recalled in 2010 and the Pinnacle Ultamet was discontinued in 2013. J&J shares were down 2.3% Tuesday, and have fallen 13.8% in the last 12 months, while the S&P 500 has fallen 7%.
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