Over 90 Total Lots Up For Auction at One Location - WA 04/08

Edwards Wins Patent Suit in Europe

by Lynn Shapiro, Writer | June 16, 2009
On solid legal footing
Edwards Lifesciences said the United Kingdom High Court of Justice has decided that Cook Inc.'s UK transcatheter valve patent is invalid and is not infringed by the Edwards Lifesciences SAPIEN transcatheter valve.

The verdict gives Edwards an edge in Europe, where it is vying for market share, with such formidable players as Corevalve, acquired by Medtronic earlier this year.

In the U.S., Edwards is the only maker of transcatheter heart valves that is conducting clinical trials. Corevalve is eager to do so, and is reportedly working with FDA to devise a trial design.

The transcatheter valves restore left ventricle function--the left valve is usually the one to become dysfunctional--without the need for open-heart surgery.

As previously announced, the District Court of Dusseldorf, Germany, determined in March 2009 that Edwards technology does not infringe Cook's German patent. Edwards has a separate lawsuit claiming invalidity of Cook's German transcatheter valve patent, which is expected to be heard in Munich in 2010.

Source: Edwards