Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a settlement by 48 states and the District of Columbia with C.R. Bard, Inc. and its parent company Becton, Dickinson and Company for deceptive marketing of transvaginal surgical mesh devices. C.R. Bard failed to adequately disclose serious, life-altering risks of surgical mesh devices, such as chronic pain, scarring and shrinking of bodily tissue, and recurring infections, among other complications. Texas will receive over $3.5 million, and the companies will be required to adhere to certain injunction terms if they reenter the mesh market.
“Texans and their doctors deserve to make informed decisions based on good information without worrying that the providers of the medical devices they rely on have misled them,” said Attorney General Paxton. “This settlement sends a strong message that we will not allow the health of Texas women to be placed in jeopardy by unscrupulous businesses.”
Under the terms of the settlement, C.R. Bard is required to disclose complications in understandable language in marketing materials and any training materials that include information on risk, and ensure that its practices regarding patient complaints are consistent with the United States Food and Drug Administration’s requirements.
Read a copy of the settlement here.