DUBLIN, Sept. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/
-- Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT), the global leader in
medical technology, today announced it has won three
additional important victories in a dispute over
its intellectual property (IP) for its sacral neuromodulation
device family, the InterStim™ systems. The Patent Trial and Appeal
Board (PTAB) of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rejected
Axonics' (NASDAQ:AXNX) attempt to invalidate three Medtronic
patents in its IP infringement lawsuit.
Significantly, this victory is in addition to the PTAB's
affirmation of Medtronic's U.S. Patent No. 9,463,324 ('324 patent)
in September 2020, which protects key
technology related to implant recharging and temperature control.
As soon as the PTAB completes its review of the remaining three
challenged patents (U.S. Patent Nos. 8,457,758, 8,738,148, and
9,821,112), due within days, the company will return its
attention to the infringement lawsuit against Axonics and request
that the U.S. District Court in the Central District of
California lift the stay and
resume proceedings.
"Medtronic is pleased with the PTAB's decisions today," said
Brett Wall, executive vice president
and president of the Neuroscience Portfolio at Medtronic. "We
believe competition drives innovation and is good for the industry
and for patients. We also believe that protecting our proprietary
technology and intellectual property is vital to our business."
The PTAB's latest decisions uphold all the claims in Medtronic's
U.S. Patent Nos. 8,036,756 and 8,626,314, which protects technology
related to its tined leads; and upholds claim 7 in Medtronic's U.S.
Patent No. 7,774,069 ('069 patent), which protects technology
related to its recharge power control. The PTAB's decision on the
'069 patent also found claims 5, 6, 8 and 9 invalid, while claims
1-4 and 10-13 were not challenged by Axonics.
About the IP Infringement Case Against
Axonics
Medtronic filed suit against Axonics in November 2019, asserting claims for infringement
of seven patents related to Medtronic's minimally invasive sacral
neuromodulation lead placement procedure and implant recharging
technologies. In response, Axonics filed Inter Partes Review (IPR)
on all seven patents and the litigation was stayed pending the
outcome at the PTAB. Last year, the PTAB rejected without hearing
the challenge to Medtronic's '324 patent and found that Axonics'
arguments lacked merit. That decision by the PTAB is final and not
appealable.
About Medtronic InterStim™ Systems
Medtronic has the
world's smallest rechargeable bladder/bowel control system and the
fastest battery recharge available and is the only company that
offers patients the choice of a rechargeable or recharge-free
sacral neuromodulation device. With 25-years' experience of
innovation, investment and pioneering therapy, Medtronic is the
only company with five-year data demonstrating the safety and
efficacy of its sacral neuromodulation systems.
About Medtronic
Medtronic plc (www.medtronic.com),
headquartered in Dublin, Ireland,
is among the world's largest medical technology, services and
solutions companies – alleviating pain, restoring health and
extending life for millions of people around the world. Medtronic
employs more than 90,000 people worldwide, serving physicians,
hospitals and patients in more than 150 countries. The company is
focused on collaborating with stakeholders around the world to take
healthcare Further, Together.
Any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and
uncertainties such as those described in Medtronic's periodic
reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual
results may differ materially from anticipated results.
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SOURCE Medtronic plc