Johnson & Johnson ordered to pay $302M in pelvic mesh case

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A California appeals court has upheld a lower court ruling that Johnson & Johnson must pay $302 million in penalties to the state for deceptively marketing pelvic mesh implants for women. Johnson & Johnson had appealed the ruling in 2020 after a judge found J&J subsidiary Ethicon made misleading statements in advertisements and instructional brochures for nearly two decades. The appeals court maintained there was ample evidence Ethicon knowingly deceived  physicians and patients about the risks posed by its products. Johnson & Johnson said it will appeal the appeals court ruling to the state Supreme Court. The appeals court ruling shaved $42 million off the original amount assessed by the judge.