Pennsylvania medical device company pleads guilty in human bone cement case

The AP (12/1, Dale) reports, "A medical device company near Philadelphia has pleaded guilty to criminal behavior for conducting unauthorized tests of its bone cement on spinal surgery patients." The company, "Synthes Inc. and its Norian subsidiary tested the cement from 2002 to 2004 on 200 patients, three of whom died on the operating table." Norian "pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy to impede federal safety standards, a felony, and 110 related misdemeanors."

The Philadelphia Inquirer (12/1, Maykuth) reports, "West Chester medical device manufacturer Synthes Inc. and its Norian Corp. subsidiary formally pleaded guilty today to charges that they illegally experimented with a spinal bone cement on patients and will pay fines totaling $23.2 million." In addition, "four executives from Pennsylvania have pleaded guilty to charges in the case and are awaiting sentencing."