Voluntary recall doesn’t mean implants defective: J&J

NEW DELHI: Multinational pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson, which is under the scanner for allegedly suppressing facts from the regulator and allegedly supplying “faulty” hip implants to patients in India, has said it “has not been evasive” and has fully cooperated in the investigation.

In a surprising revelation, it also maintains that the implant continues to function well for many patients and a voluntary recall doesn’t necessarily mean the product is defective.

“It is also important to note that a voluntary recall doesn’t imply that the product is “faulty” nor does it imply that every patient who has received an ASR hip implant will necessarily have to undergo revision surgery. Indeed, ASR continues to function well for many patients in India and around the world,” a Johnson & Johnson spokesperson told TOI.

The American drug maker ordered a global recall of its ASR hip implant in 2010, after the firm noticed higher rate of revision surgeries. The company applied for an import license in India in January 2010.