Ethicon, Inc. is a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. It was incorporated as a separate company under the J&J umbrella in 1949 to expand and diversify the J&J product line.

Ethicon has been the world leader in manufacturing of surgical sutures and wound closure devices for over a century. After World War II, Ethicon’s market share in surgical sutures rose from 15% to 70% worldwide. In the United States, the market share is approximately 80%.

Ethicon is headquartered in Somerville, New Jersey. It currently conducts business in 52 countries and employs approximately 11,000 people.

In 1992, Ethicon was restructured, and Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. became a separate corporate entity.

During the 1990s, Ethicon diversified into new and advanced products and technologies and formed four different companies under the Ethicon umbrella, each of which specialize in different products.

Ethicon Companies

• ETHICON products: suture products and suture technology
• GYNECARE: women's health products
• Johnson & Johnson Wound Management: skin and wound care
• CARDIOVATIONS: cardiovascular products that restore and improve the circulatory health and quality of life for people with cardiovascular disease