Johnson & Johnson, U.S. states settle hip implant claims for $120 million

(Reuters) – Johnson & Johnson and its DePuy Orthopaedics unit have agreed to pay $120 million to resolve deceptive marketing claims by several U.S. states over the company’s metal-on-metal hip implants.

Attorneys general of 46 U.S. states announced the settlement agreement in statements on Tuesday. They alleged DePuy engaged in unfair and deceptive practices in the promotion of its ASR XL and Pinnacle Ultamet hip implant devices.

J&J did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The states claimed J&J made misleading claims about the longevity of its metal-on-metal hip implants, with patients frequently having to undergo a revision surgery before the company’s advertised timeframe of five years.

DePuy in 2010 announced a worldwide voluntary recall of 93,000 of its ASR hip implant systems, saying that 12 percent of them failed within five years. Saying it would pay at least $2.47 billion, the company has since settled thousands of lawsuits by patients who had to have the ASR implant removed.

In 2013, DePuy ceased selling the Pinnacle devices after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration strengthened its artificial hip regulations.