Boston Scientific Forced to Pay $18.5M in Vaginal Mesh Lawsuit

Federal court jurors in West Virginia found Boston Scientific liable for selling defective vaginal mesh implants, awarding $18.5 million in damages to four women who claimed the devices left them in constant pain.

This is the second time in a month that the devicemaker has been found liable for its mesh products, following a Nov. 13 verdict in Florida that awarded $26.7 million to four plaintiffs.

After deliberating for more than six hours, the jurors concluded that company officials failed to adequately warn the women and their doctors about the risks of its Obtryx implants for treating incontinence.

The Florida women blamed a different pelvic mesh product, Pinnacle, for injuring them, but in both cases the women said the mesh inserts eroded inside their bodies, causing organ damage and pain. Plaintiff attorneys argued that the implants were made of substandard materials.

Boston Scientific pulled Pinnacle from the U.S. market in 2011. The company still faces more than 23,000 suits over its vaginal mesh implants in U.S., Canadian and UK courts, SEC filings show. — Kellen Owings

Subscribe to Devices & Diagnostics Letter for complete coverage of the medical devices industry. Click here for more information.