Say hello to MassDevice +3, a bite-sized view of the top three medtech stories of the day. This feature of MassDevice.com’s coverage highlights our 3 biggest and most influential stories from the day’s news to make sure you’re up to date on the headlines that continue to shape the medical device industry.
3. Supremes deny Gore in $1B stent graft loss to Bard
The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday declined to review W.L. Gore‘s infringement loss to C.R. Bard over stent graft patents, leaving Gore on the hook for more than $1 billion in damages owed to Bard.
After the Federal Circuit Appeals Court in January upheld a judgment of willful infringement, tacking on an extra $205 million to the $854 million already owed, Gore petitioned the Supremes for a writ of certiorari. The high court declined the petition without comment yesterday. Read more
2. Johnson & Johnson wins 1st Prosima pelvic mesh suit
Johnson & Johnson reportedly won the 1st lawsuit to go to trial over its Prosima pelvic mesh implant, after a Texas state jury ruled yesterday that the device was not defectively designed and that J&J subsidiary Ethicon’s risk warnings were adequate.
The Dallas County District Court jury’s 10-2 verdict rejected claims by plaintiff Carol Cavness that Ethicon’s Gynecare Prosima device, implanted to treat her pelvic organ prolapse, caused her injuries, according to Court TV News, HarrisMartin Publishing and Law360. Read more
1. TAVI: Study prompts FDA notice on blood clot risk
A small study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, finding reduced leaflet mobility in some replacement heart valves, prompted the FDA to caution doctors about the risk of blood clots on the devices.
The finding is notable because it involves both transcatheter aortic heart implants and surgical aortic valve implants, which have been in use for roughly 30 years. The researchers looked at data from St. Jude Medical‘s investigational device exemption trial for its Portico TAVI device and a pair of registry studies following patients treated with TAVI and SAVI devices. Read more