BAX drops FloSeal case against J&J | Medtech legal news for the week of April 13, 2015

Baxter drops FloSeal case against J&J

April 6, 2015 by Brad Perriello

Baxter last week dropped a lawsuit it filed last year accusing Johnson & Johnson of infringing patents covering its FloSeal hemostasis device.

Deerfield Park, Ill.-based Baxter asked the U.S. District Court for Northern Illinois to dismiss the case against J&J, its Ethicon subsidiary, Ferrosan Medical Devices and Packaging Coordinators with prejudice, according to an April 1 court filing. Read more

Feds: We got $119m in fraud penalties from medtech companies last year

April 8, 2015 by Brad Perriello

Federal authorities say they penalized medical device companies to the tune of nearly $119 million for healthcare fraud during fiscal 2014, including the $30 million Boston Scientific paid to settle a False Claims Act case back in October 2013.

The haul was part of the $2.3 billion won or negotiated by the U.S. Justice Dept. and the Health & Human Services Dept. in healthcare fraud judgments and settlements during fiscal 2014, which ran from October 1, 2013, to September 30, 2014, according to the agencies’ annual report on their joint healthcare fraud and abuse prevention program. Read more

Insurer, DJO Global settle pain pump suit

April 7, 2015 by Brad Perriello

DJO Global and Ironshore Specialty Insurance agreed to settle their beef over a $10 million policy the medical device company invoked to cover legal claims in personal injury lawsuits filed over pain pumps it sold.

Ironshore sued DJO in late 2013, seeking to recoup the $10 million it paid out on the policy, alleging that DJO concealed allegations that it promoted the off-label use of pumps it distributed made by I-Flow and McKinley Medical. Read more