Synthes Settles New Jersey Inquiry

Synthes, maker of the ProDisc artificial spinal disk, has settled an inquiry by the New Jersey attorney general, which accused the device maker of failing to disclose financial conflicts of interest for doctors researching its products, according to a report by the New York Times.

The attorney general claims that the physicians who were testing the ProDisc were, in many cases, recommending its use to patients, and nearly half of those testing the product were being compensated with company stock for doing so.

Synthes has agreed to disclose any future payments or investments held by doctors involved in researching its products through its Web site and will pay $236,000 to reimburse the attorney general's office for its investigation.

Read the New York Times' report on the Synthes settlement.