Nearly eight years after the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) registered a first information report against pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) for a faulty hip implant, the Mahim police have received a database of around 1,000 patients who were fitted with the implant. The police are now in the process of reaching out to the patients to take their statements.

“We have received data of 1,000 patients from Puri Crawford, the company hired by J&J to co-ordinate with the patients. We have started reaching out to patients who are in Mumbai as well as other parts of the country. In some cases, we have written to them,” said Ajinath Satpute, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mahim division.

The metal-on-metal Articular Surface Replacement hip implant manufactured by J&J’s subsidiary DePuy Orthopaedics was recalled worldwide in 2010 following reports that it was leaching metal and causing severe pain, fluid accumulation and metal poisoning in patients. In India, nearly 4,700 surgeries were carried out using the faulty hip joint. The Maharashtra FDA was the first to acknowledge the issue and register an FIR on November 11, 2011 under Section 328 (causing hurt by means of poison) of the Indian Penal Code and several sections of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act that look at drugs not of standard quality or containing harmful or toxic substances that may render it injurious to health. However, till date, a charge sheet has not been filed in the case.

A Central expert committee has started computing compensation for patients based on aspects like the degree of disability, loss of wages, etc. So far, compensation for two patients has been announced. However, this has been challenged by the pharmaceutical company in the Delhi High Court.