J&J reaches $205 million settlement in Australian pelvic mesh class action By Reuters

(Reuters) – Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:) has reached a A$300 million ($204.90 million) settlement in two Australian class action suits filed by Shine Lawyers for selling defective pelvic mesh implants to Australian women, the law firm said on Monday.

The settlement, which Shine Lawyers said was the largest settlement in a product liability class action in Australian history, follows multiple court proceedings involving more than 11,000 claimants, the pharmaceutical giant, and its subsidiary Ethicon.

A federal court judge had previously found that Ethicon had sold implants to treat urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse without warning women and surgeons about the risks, and had rushed the products to market before proper testing.

The company was ordered to pay $1.7 million to three Australian women in March 2020.

A second class action suit was then filed by Shine Lawyers in April 2021 on behalf of women who received their implants on or after July 4, 2017, and were not eligible to join the first class action, with allegations similar to the first one.

“The settlement reached on Sept. 9, 2022 is the largest settlement in a product liability class action in Australian history, and is subject to approval by the Federal Court,” Shine Lawyers said in a statement

A Johnson & Johnson spokesperson said, “Ethicon empathises with all women who experience medical complications related to pelvic organ prolapse or stress urinary incontinence.”

J&J has faced similar lawsuits on its pelvic mesh products in the United States, Canada and Europe.

($1 = 1.4641 Australian dollars)