The University of California will pay $8.5 million to settle multiple lawsuits alleging undisclosed financial ties between a former UCLA spine surgeon and Medtronic, according to a Kaiser Health News report.
Here are five things to know:
1. The UCLA board of regents approved the settlement in the case, paying $4.2 million to one patient and $4.25 million to a second patient who allege surgeries performed by Jeffrey Wang, MD, led to complications and additional operations. They allege Dr. Wang didn’t disclose off-label use of bone morphogenetic protein or his financial ties to Medtronic.
2. One of the patients also accused Medtronic of promoting off-label product use to the surgeon and hospital. However, Medtronic denied the charge.
3. Dr. Wang has left UCLA since these procedures were performed and now serves as co-director of USC Spine Center. Dr. Wang and USC Spine Center denied wrongdoing.
4. Medtronic denied promoting off-label use and denied wrongdoing; the company was dropped from one of the cases and agreed to a separate undisclosed settlement in the other. The company also claimed any payment Dr. Wang received from Medtronic wasn’t for the devices used in either case.
5. UCLA denied wrongdoing by physicians but wanted to avoid further litigation.