Rejected Medical Device Still Sold Overseas

In what is just the latest in a string of examples of pharmaceutical companies placing profits above all else, the New York Times reported this week that Johnson & Johnson continued to market an artificial hip overseas after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had rejected it for sale in the U.S. because of safety concerns.

DePuy, the division of Johnson & Johnson that manufactured the rejected implant, also marketed a similar implant, which had received FDA approval through a regulatory loophole that waived full-scale safety reviews. In all, the two faulty implants, finally recalled in August of 2010, were on the market for a total of eight years. During that time, nearly 93,000 patients, about one-third of whom lived in the U.S., were implanted with one of the two devices.

When large pharmaceutical companies value their bottom line over patients' safety, as in the case of the DePuy hip implant, people are bound to get hurt. At Arnold & Itkin, our team of injury attorneys has represented many individuals who have been harmed by dangerous medical devices like the DePuy hip implants. If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective or dangerous medical product, we may be able to help you recover a substantial financial settlement. Contact a pharmaceutical injury attorney from Arnold & Itkin today for a free and confidential consultation regarding your case.