German court finds Medtronic infringed Edwards’ patent for transcatheter valve technology

A court in Germany has found that Medtronic has infringed on Edwards Lifesciences' Spenser patent for transcatheter heart valve technology and granted an injunction banning the sale of CoreValve and CoreValve Evolut systems in the country.

The court also ordered a recall of these products, and an accounting for past damages.

Edwards transcatheter heart valves vice president Larry Wood said, "Edwards will continue to vigorously enforce our intellectual property to ensure continued innovation in the treatment of patients with severe aortic stenosis."

In August 2012, the company filed a case related to three patents including Spenser patent EP 2 055 266 B1, which is effective till October 2022.

Besides Germany, the patent is valid in European countries such as France, Italy, Spain, among others.

The Spenser patent’s validity is separately being contested at the European Patent Office.

The decision given by the German court is appealable, and it is enforceable when Edwards offers the required bond to support the injunction.