Nevada will get more than $800,000 as part of a multistate settlement from C.R. Bard and its parent company, Becton, Dickinson and Company for the deceptive marketing of transvaginal surgical mesh devices, Attorney General Aaron Ford’s office announced Thursday.
The company has agreed to pay $60 million to the 48 participating states and the District of Columbia. Nevada will receive a total of $803,620.
The attorneys general allege that C.R. Bard concealed serious and life-altering risks of the now-discontinued pelvic mesh devices, including chronic pain, vaginal scarring, painful sexual relations, infection, and inflammation, among other complications.
BARD denied liability or wrongdoing in agreeing to settle.
The devices contained synthetic, multi-strand, knitted, or woven mesh intended to be implanted in the pelvic floor to treat stress urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse, which are both common, non-life-threatening conditions.
Last year the state was awarded $1.8 million in a similar multistate settlement with Johnson & Johnson and it’s subsidiary Ethicon Inc. for their deceptive marketing of transvaginal mesh devices.
Under the terms of the settlement, Bard and its parent company must disclose complication risks in marketing materials, as well as sponsorship of studies used in materials
“When making important decisions about their healthcare, patients must be fully informed of all of the risks,” said Ford in a statement. “My office helps protect Nevadans by holding companies accountable for failing to disclose risks and complications of products.”
