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The Kentucky Attorney General announced Tuesday that he’s seeking thousands of dollars in damages for each patient in the state who got a vaginal mesh implant made by Johnson and Johnson and its medical device unit, accusing the companies of conducting a deceptive marketing campaign. Attorney General Andy Beshear is accusing the company of concealing and mispresenting to doctors and patients many of the associated risks. The plastic mesh is used to treat pelvic organ prolapse, a condition involving the shifting of organs such as the bladder, bowel and uterus, often after childbirth, a hysterectomy or menopause. (8/16)

Kentucky has become the latest state to file a lawsuit accusing Johnson & Johnson of concealing severe risks and falsely marketing its vaginal mesh products. Earlier this year, California and Washington filed identical claims against the health care giant. As in the earlier lawsuits, Kentucky claims Johnson & Johnson failed to disclose various problems caused by its devices, which were marketed to combat stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. Among the side effects cited were permanent pain with intercourse; a loss of sexual function; chronic inflammation; and permanent urinary or defecation dysfunction. (Silverman, 8/16)

Kentucky's attorney general is suing health-care giant Johnson & Johnson for millions of dollars, saying the company "concealed and misrepresented" the risk of its transvaginal mesh products to doctors and patients. Johnson & Johnson called the lawsuit unjustified. Attorney General Andy Beshear said more than 15,000 women in Kentucky had transvaginal mesh implanted but Johnson & Johnson, through its medical device company, Ethicon, didn't provide enough information about adverse effects. (Almasy, 8/16)