Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) has lost its challenge to a $302 million judgment over its marketing of pelvic mesh products. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear J&J’s appeal, leaving the judgment in place.
The judgment is the result of a lawsuit brought by the state of California accusing JNJ of hiding the risks of its pelvic mesh products. The lawsuit was part of a multistate investigation into JNJ subsidiary Ethicon Inc’s marketing of the devices used to treat incontinence and other conditions.

JNJ Pelvic Mesh Marketing Failed to Disclose Risks

In January 2020, a judge found JNJ subsidiary’s marketing materials and instructions about pelvic mesh devices misled doctors and patients by failing to disclose serious risks. Consequently, its actions violated the state’s unfair competition and false advertising laws. In 2022, a California appellate court later slashed the award by $42.

JNJ has denied any wrongdoing and stopped selling pelvic mesh in 2012. Seven years later, the FDA ordered all pelvic mesh devices to be removed from the market. JNJ and other mesh makers have already faced a plethora of lawsuits by women who experienced pain and injuries from the pelvic mesh devices. In turn, those lawsuits resulted in more than $8 billion in settlements.

In response to the Supreme Court’s decision, California Attorney General Rob Bonta called it “a definitive win in our fight for justice.” JNJ noted the Supreme Court’s rejection of the case will lead to continued “uneven, unclear and unfair enforcement that harms both consumers and businesses.”

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