NEW DELHI: Global health major Johnson and Johnson has agreed to pay Rs 20 lakh as minimum compensation to patients in India who suffered due to faulty hip implants , accepting the direction to the firm from drug regulator central Drugs Controller General of India ( DCGI ).The move is expected to bring some relief to thousands of patients who suffered disability and spent years in pain after undergoing a hip replacement surgery using J&J's defective ASR hip implant , sources said. In response to an order sent by DCGI, the pharmaceutical multinational said it is "agreeable to working with DCGI to compensate ASR patients in India", in line with the recommendations of a committee headed by Dr Arun Agarwal, former dean of Maulana Azad Medical College The move assumes significance because it was awaited whether the company might opt for the legal route to challenge the drug controller's order, which in turn would have resulted in a longer wait and uncertainty for patients in distress.However, the firm told the regulator that it has "concerns" about the "factual basis of conclusions" drawn in the expert committee report and sought an opportunity to formally respond to the report to put forward relevant facts and context.It has also expressed a desire to be part of the process to define criteria for compensation based on other programmes with similar goals in other countries. "We would like to work closely with you, the health ministry and, in particular, with the Central Expert Committee, to discuss an appropriate and mutually agreeable path forward. We also believe it would be important for us to jointly work out and agree to the details ahead of any regional roll out," J&J told the DCGI.The drug regulator along with the health ministry has set up a central expert committee as well as state level committees to determine the actual quantum of compensation for each patient.In the US, J&J agreed to pay $2.5 billion to 8,000 patients in 2013 for the faulty implants. When contacted, J&J spokesperson said, "We have always been and continue to be fully committed to supporting all ASR patients in India, and the rest of the world. That's why J&J instituted an unprecedented patient reimbursement programme in August 2010. In light of the recent committee report, we are seeking to work with the Indian government to develop an appropriate process for providing further support and compensation for patients in need."Patients, pursuing the case with the regulator and the health ministry for compensation, said they have strong objection to J&J participating in the process of defining criteria or compensation as this will leave scope for "manipulation".On Tuesday, the DCGI wrote to J&J asking it to pay a base compensation of Rs 20 lakh to all the patients who had undergone a hip replacement surgery with J&J's ASR implant. Apart from this, the compensation will be further enhanced based on expert committee's evaluation of "degree of disability" in individual cases. J&J has informed DCGI that around 4,700 patients in India received such implants but over 3,600 patients are yet to be traced.