Johnson & Johnson Medical Device Recall Overview

Johnson & Johnson has long been one of the mainstay companies involved in the advancement and marketing of medical tools and devices. The company is enormous in size, and has brought hundreds of products to market that have carried much promise towards making surgery and recovery easier for patients.

However, the company also took part in the development of two products that were found to create a danger in those who received them. These products are/were the Cypher Stent and the Charite Spinal Disc. Each of these products and their issues are described below, but if you’ve suffered an injury as a result of either of these products, contact an experienced trial attorney immediately.

Cypher Stent

Johnson & Johnson was one of the leading providers of drug eluting stent technology, and their product was called the Cypher Stent. It was originally approved by the FDA, but a study published by the American Journal of Medicine in December of 2006 changed the face of the perception of this device.

This study showed that drug eluting stents such as this one, which was used to help remove blockage from blood vessels around the heart by releasing a drug from the tip of a stent, showed that patients who used this device were more than four times as likely to develop blood clotting with this drug eluting stent than with the older models that did not release medication.

Clotting near the heart can clearly lead to very serious injuries, such as increased risk of heart attacks, heart failure and strokes. Many times, these conditions lead to either permanent debilitation or the death of the patient.

Charite Spinal Disc

The Charite Spinal Disc was developed and marketed by DePuy Spine, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company. This tool basically served as an artificial replacement for patients who suffered from lower back pain that was chronic and severe in nature.

The disc replaced a worn out spinal disc with this artificial model, and like many other products, hit the market with a high degree of publicity and fanfare. However, reports soon began to surface in regards to serious problems that patients were experiencing as a result of use of this product.

Although the FDA originally approved the product, many questions have come to the surface surrounding this approval process, including allegations that some data was omitted from early studies that detailed problems with the device. Basically, thousands of people are at risk of spinal injuries as a result of a device that may be defective.

If you have experienced any problems with either of the products above, contact an experienced trial attorney immediately for a full consultation regarding the facts that surround your situation.