Johnson and Johnson sets aside more than $900 million

By Correy Stephenson The Daily Record Newswire To cover litigation costs - including the possibility of a settlement - DePuy hip replacement manufacturer Johnson & Johnson has set aside $922 million. In its fourth quarter earnings announced last week, the company said its DePuy Orthopaedics subsidiary faces a growing number of suits over its ASR hip replacements. DePuy, an Indiana-based division of Johnson & Johnson, recalled the ASR hip system on Aug. 26, 2010 after hundreds of patients complained to the Food and Drug Administration that the device failed soon after implantation. The suits seek redress for severe injuries, debilitating pain, severe inflammation of surrounding tissue and bone, loss of mobility and the need for surgery to remove and replace the ASR hip implant devices. The more than 100 hip recall lawsuits were recently consolidated in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio for pretrial proceedings, although more plaintiffs are expected to file cases. Plaintiffs' lawyers have predicted that the litigation could be "huge," thanks in part to television ads as well as the FDA recall last August. Published: Thu, Feb 10, 2011

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