Latest news with #EtO
Chicago Tribune
29-03-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Waukegan area residents sharing $48.1 million settlement for EtO emissions from an industrial pant
A group of Waukegan area people impacted by the emission of ethylene oxide (EtO), a known carcinogen, from an industrial plant in Waukegan will be sharing in a $48.15 million settlement with Isomedix Operations, Inc., a one-time owner of the Waukegan facility. Isomedix, a subsidiary of STERIS, plc, a Dublin, Ireland-based company, settled its portion of a multiparty lawsuit with numerous plaintiffs (the ETO plaintiffs) for $48.15 million, according to a March 3 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Coming after a trial with one of the plaintiffs, Pamela Knobbe of Gurnee, ended in a mistrial in Cook County Circuit Court, the case was resolved, according to a news release from STERIS, court filings with the First District Illinois Appellate Court in Chicago, and the SEC filing. Isomedix filed an 8-K Disclosure with the SEC on March 3 in New York, disclosing settlement of its portion of the lawsuits with the ETO Plaintiffs agreeing to pay as much as $48.15 million based on term sheets signed by attorneys for the allegedly injured people. Though there were numerous plaintiffs and defendants in the case, the settlement came after a Feb. 21 decision by the appellate court ending delay tactics by Isomedix, according to the court filings. 'Although Isomedix has an interest in putting all potential (matters) before the jury we cannot overlook its delay in filing its third-party complaint and seeking a continuance,' Justice Celia Gamrath wrote in her opinion. Knobbe sought a prompt trial. At 70, she was twice diagnosed with cancer and is entitled to a prompt resolution of her case, as should be the situation with the 'elderly or seriously ill, according to the court opinion. 'Given Knobbe's age and cancer diagnosis, Knobbe has a right to see her claims to fruition now, without a six-to-12-month continuance advocated by Isomedix,' Gamrath said in her opinion. After the court's opinion was issued Feb. 21, STERIS filed its disclosure with the SEC March 3, indicating Isomedix signed confidential term sheets with the attorneys for the EtO Plaintiffs as well as settlement agreements with 'several plaintiffs currently at trial,' according to the disclosure. Isomedix expects to enter into settlement agreements with additional parties to the lawsuit, according to the disclosure. Should some of the EtO Plaintiffs not sign the agreements or the court declines to accept some of the pacts, Isomedix can continue to defend itself in court. The Waukegan plant which allegedly emitted the EtO was owned by Isomedix from 2005 to 2008 and is currently owned by Medline, according to the court opinion. It was owned by Cosmed from 1993 to 2005. Hundreds of cases were filed in Cook County Court and were consolidated for certain legal procedures. Other defendants have already settled.
CBS News
14-03-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Colorado jury finds Terumo not negligent in release of toxins in Jefferson County
A jury in Jefferson County on Friday morning determined that Lakewood-based Terumo Blood and Cell Technology was not negligent in the release of the chemical ethylene oxide (EtO) into the community northwest of Denver. The chemical is a known carcinogen and plaintiffs had argued that the emissions, released over decades from the EtO used to sterilize medical devices, gave four women cancer. Terumo argued that the levels released were too low to have caused the women's illness. A spokesperson for Terumo provided the following statement: "We are pleased that the jury ruled in our favor after carefully considering the facts and the science. We care deeply about the Lakewood community, where many of our employees live and raise families, and are committed to meeting or exceeding all relevant health and safety standards in our sterilization of lifesaving medical devices. We look forward to putting this matter behind us and focusing on our mission of improving patient quality of life and meeting the needs of healthcare professionals." An attorney for the plaintiffs indicated he will provide a statement and this story will be updated once it's received. This lawsuit is one of several following studies from the Environmental Protection Agency showing an elevated lifetime cancer risk for thousands of people living near the Terumo facility at the corner of Simms Street and Collins Avenue.
Associated Press
24-02-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
B. Braun Settles Ethylene Oxide Litigation
What Does This Mean for the Future of EO Sterilization? HANOVER, PENNSYLVANIA / ACCESS Newswire / February 24, 2025 / The legal landscape around ethylene oxide (EO) sterilization is changing fast. B. Braun, a large and well-respected medical device manufacturer, has recently settled lawsuits over EO emissions - highlighting a growing wave of litigation risk in the industry.B. Braun Settles Ethylene Oxide Litigation What does this mean for the future of EtO sterilization? It appears that the trend of legal challenges and public scrutiny are continuing, regardless of whether companies follow strict safety protocols. How We Got Here EO is a tremendously high-performance sterilization modality that, almost uniquely, is exceptionally gentle on some of the softer polymers that are used in medical devices. However, the properties that make it so desirable as a sterilization agent also make it hard to control: it is deeply penetrative and inimical to life both inside and outside the chambers in which it is contained. We Thought This Was Over Broadly speaking, many viewed the ~$800M of landmark settlements made in 2022 and early 2023 as moves that would draw the litigation around EO to a close. Instead, the opposite seems to have happened, with the announcing of 250 new lawsuits around a Milwaukee facility as well as the pending bankruptcy of an EO facility in NJ due to escalating litigation costs just last November. Even Industry Leaders Are Vulnerable B. Braun's settlement underscores a critical reality-if a sophisticated, responsible operator with extensive compliance measures can face litigation, other manufacturers relying on EO could be next. Where does this end? Regulatory pressures and legal action are evolving in parallel, making long-term reliance on EO an unpredictable and potentially costly decision. We can't shut off EO today-that would be disastrous to the healthcare system. But industry cannot afford to pretend that this risk is going away: given the highly-regulated nature of medical devices, change will not come quickly. How Manufacturers Can Stay Ahead of the Curve For companies currently using EO sterilization, now is the time to explore alternative technologies that reduce both compliance burdens and legal risks. E-beam sterilization offers a chemical-free, highly effective alternative that eliminates EO-related concerns while improving operational efficiency. At NextBeam, we help manufacturers transition to safer, scalable solutions that meet regulatory requirements without exposing them to growing legal threats. Let's talk about how E-beam can safeguard your business for the future.
