How a Reuters Investigation Exposed a Little-Known Side of the Medical Industry

In January, a pair of Reuters journalists spotted an unusual court motion filed by Johnson & Johnson. The pharmaceutical giant is one of seven companies that make a product known as pelvic mesh, used to treat conditions like urinary incontinence and uterine prolapse, that is at the center of a major wave of personal injury litigation. Johnson & Johnson claimed in its motion that women were receiving unsolicited phone calls from unidentified people to join the lawsuits—and asked the court to allow the company to investigate those calls.