Bayer halts non-U.S. sales of its contraceptive implant

(Reuters) - German drugs and pesticides group Bayer AG said in a statement on its French website that it would stop selling its contraceptive implant, Essure, in countries other than the United States. The company said the decision was taken for commercial reasons and was not linked to a safety or product quality problem. (http://bit.ly/2w3vzxD) The device, which was approved in the United States in 2002, was billed as an alternative to tubal ligation for permanent birth control. The FDA has since received thousands of complaints, including reports of the device breaking or moving and causing injuries. (Reporting by Akankshita Mukhopadhyay in Bengaluru)