International News In Brief
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
Breast implant investigation: The U.K.'s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency continues to investigate the safety risk posed by silicone gel breast implants manufactured by the French company Poly Implant Prothese (PIP). MHRA on March 31 advised surgeons not to use the implants after French authorities discovered that the low-priced implants are filled with an unauthorized silicone gel that differs from the originally approved material. France's medical device regulatory agency, AFSSAPS, has suspended the marketing, distribution, export and use of the implants. PIP, a subsidiary of U.S. firm Heritage Worldwide, filed for reorganization under French bankruptcy law in April 2009, and has continued to operate under the jurisdiction of the bankruptcy court