Federal Court Finds Edwards Lifesciences’ Patents Not Infringed

Edwards Lifesciences has announced that the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed a previous court decision in favor of Cook and WL Gore & Associates. The court found that the companies did not infringe Edwards’ patents for modular or multi-part endovascular grafts for treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA).

While the company is disappointed in the court’s ruling, it does not impact any of Edwards’ businesses because the company discontinued its AAA product line in April 2006. Another co-defendant in this case settled with Edwards in January 2006 under terms including a payment of $37.5m.

Headquartered in Irvine, California, Edwards Lifesciences treats advanced cardiovascular disease with its heart valve therapies, and critical care and vascular technologies. The company’s global brands include Carpentier-Edwards, Cosgrove-Edwards, Edwards SAPIEN, FloTrac, Fogarty, PERIMOUNT Magna and Swan-Ganz.