Bayer to Stop Selling Contraceptive Implant After Threats by FDA

Bayer AG said it is pulling a female contraceptive implant off the U.S. market after the Food and Drug Administration threatened the company with civil and criminal penalties if it didn’t tell patients about the product’s serious health risks.

Bayer said in a statement July 20 that it will stop selling the Essure device in the U.S. after Dec. 31 because a decline in sales made the business unsustainable. The German drugmaker said it would continue to stand behind the product’s safety and efficacy.

Essure is a permanent contraceptive developed as an alternative to surgical techniques such as tying or ...