Medtronic pedicle screw appeal
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
Firm will pay substantially less in damages under a Federal Appeals Court decision that affirmed that Medtronic's now-defunct Vertex line of multi-axial pedicle screws infringed a Johnson & Johnson/DePuy Spine patent. The court cut $226 million in initial damages liability down to about $149 million, Medtronic announces June 1 (1"The Gray Sheet" Oct. 1, 2007, In Brief). The appeals court's review of the initial 2007 patent infringement verdict also eliminated another $10.5 million in sanctions and attorneys' fees. The infringing screws are no longer on the market, and the case has no bearing on Medtronic's current Vertex Select and OC systems, notes Medtronic Spine and Biologics President Steve La Neve