New Delhi: Investigative journalist Kaunain Sheriff M has exposed the troubling record of pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson in India through her new book The Johnson & Johnson Files: The Indian Secrets of a Global Giant, published by Juggernaut Books. The book revisits one of India’s worst medical device scandals and examines how a multinational corporation escaped scrutiny for years.
Sheriff’s investigation focuses on the ASR hip implant controversy, where thousands of patients were fitted with faulty implants that leaked toxic metals into their bodies. Despite international recalls, Indian patients were left uninformed for years, enduring severe health complications without timely redress. The book reveals how systemic negligence and weak regulation allowed the company to avoid accountability.
Drawing from years of reporting, confidential documents, and patient testimonies, the author builds a detailed record of how corporate power and regulatory failure intersected in India’s healthcare system. She also examines why Indian victims received far less compensation and attention compared to their Western counterparts.
The book highlights the need for stronger medical device regulations and patient protection in India. It calls attention to the larger issue of multinational pharmaceutical companies treating developing nations as testing grounds with limited oversight. Sheriff’s work stands as a call for health justice, transparency, and reform in India’s healthcare governance.
