Nevro Corp. (NYSE:NVRO) yesterday vowed to "vigorously defend" 1 of its patents against a pair of challenges from Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX).
Nevro’s Senza device, which won pre-market approval from the FDA last week, is designed to deliver up to 10,000Hz to the spinal cord, allowing it to avoid the tingling sensation known as paresthesia that bothers some patients.
The FDA is allowing the company to label the device as superior to other spinal cord stimulators, including some made by Boston Scientific.
Marlborough, Mass.-based Boston apparently wants to cut into that edge a bit, filing a pair of inter partes review petitions with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office’s Patent Trial & Appeals Board to challenge the validity of the Nevro patent.
The patent, no. 8,359,102, covers "Selective high frequency spinal cord modulation for inhibiting pain with reduced side effects, and associated systems and methods," according to the PTO.
"The ‘102 patent is 1 of Nevro’s 52 issued U.S. patents directed to Nevro’s innovations in the neuromodulation field. Nevro intends to vigorously defend its intellectual property in this matter," the company said in a press release.