Boston Scientific Corp. said it will pay $188.7 million to 47 states and D.C. to settle claims that it falsely advertised the safety of vaginal mesh, according to New York Attorney General Leticia James.
Boston Scientific was accused of selling “surgical mesh products that endangered the health of women,” and failing to disclose the full range of “serious and irreversible complications caused by mesh, including chronic pain, voiding dysfunction, and new onset of incontinence.”
“While Boston Scientific was putting income before the health of people in need of care, women were put in danger,” said Attorney General James.
It is the third major settlement spearheaded by U.S. states against manufacturers of transvaginal mesh for deceptive marketing.
In October 2019, Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon subsidiary agreed to pay a $117 million settlement, and in September 2020, C.R. Bard and its parent company agreed to pay $60 million to resolve similar claims.
Transvaginal mesh is a fabric made of synthetic materials that is implanted through a woman’s vagina into her pelvis for the treatment of common health conditions, like incontinence or organ prolapse.
Millions of women have been implanted with the devices, and over 100,000 of them have filed lawsuits against manufacturers after suffering injuries.
Unfortunately, studies have shown that transvaginal mesh poses an increased risk of many severe long-term complications, but it is not proven to be any more effective than traditional tissue repair surgery, according to Attorney General James.
Source: Boston Scientific To Pay $188M Over Mesh False Ad Claims