Ethicon will stop selling its controversial transvaginal mesh as it faces hundreds of lawsuits from patients who allege implants used during pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence repairs caused post-op complications and infections.

The mesh products being discontinued are the Gynecare TVT Secur system, the Gynecare Prosima, the Gynecare Prolift and the Gynecare Prolift+M, according to a published report.

Ethicon, a division of Johnson & Johnson, claims the decision was not influenced by safety concerns, but on the commercial viability of the meshes. The company is expected to cease worldwide sales by early 2013.

Last August, the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen petitioned the FDA to ban all non-absorbable mesh products designed and labeled for transvaginal repair of pelvic organ prolapse shortly after a safety statement issued by the FDA deemed complications following use of the mesh "not rare."

Earlier this year, the FDA called on manufacturers of transvaginal mesh implants to conduct surveillance safety reviews of their products, which demanded they follow patients implanted with the meshes for 3 years to track complication rates.

Daniel Cook