Globus: Witness for J&J's Synthes faked credentials
April 28, 2015 by Brad Perriello
Globus Medical wants a federal judge in Delaware to overturn its $16 million patent infringement loss to Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy-Synthes unit because a key witness for Synthes lied on the stand about his credentials.
A jury in the U.S. District Court for Delaware ruled in June 2013 that Audubon, Pa.-based Globus infringed on 3 Synthes spinal implant patents with its now-discontinued Independence ALIF system, Coalition ACDF system and InterContinental Plate-Spacer product lines. Read more
UPDATE: Medtronic agrees to stop making SynchroMed drug pump
April 28, 2015 by Brad Perriello
Medtronic will halt the manufacture of its SynchroMed II drug infusion pump after repeatedly failing to correct violations found by the FDA over a 7-year period, the safety watchdog said.
The ban applies to SynchroMed II except in cases where a doctor deems it essential, the FDA said, and Medtronic must hire an outside expert to develop a plan to correct the violations. The consent decree will only be lifted once it determines that Medtronic has corrected the problems, at which time the company can begin making the SynchroMed II device again, the agency said. Read more
NuVasive settles Justice Dept. probe for $14m
April 29, 2015 by Brad Perriello
NuVasive Inc. said it agreed to pay $13.8 million to settle a U.S. Justice Dept. probe into possible healthcare fraud.
San Diego-based NuVasive said in July 2013 that the U.S. Health & Human Services Dept.’s inspector general issued a subpoena “in connection with an investigation into possible false or otherwise improper claims submitted to Medicare and Medicaid” for documents from January 2007 through April 2013. Read more
Boston Scientific inks $119m pelvic mesh deal
April 28, 2015 by MassDevice
Boston Scientific said it reached its 1st settlement agreement to resolve a portion of the legal claims it faces involving its transvaginal mesh products to treat urinary incontinence.
The medical device maker, in a regulatory filing, said it expects to pay about $119 million to resolve 2,970 cases. Read more
Stryker inks $3m settlement in Howmedica reimbursement suit
April 29, 2015 by Brad Perriello
Stryker agreed to pay $3 million to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by a former sales rep accusing its Howmedica subsidiary of stiffing workers’ expense claims.
Tanner Trosper sued Stryker and Howmedica in 2013, alleging failure to reimburse employees for business-related expenses and failing to have a reimbursement policy in place, as required by California law, according to court documents. Read more