Medtronic Sues Axonics for Patent Infringement

The medical device industry has seen its share of David vs. Goliath stories over the years, but few have been as intense as the battle between Medtronic and Axonics over the sacral neuromodulation (SNM) market. The story took an unexpected turn this week as Medtronic slapped Axonics with a patent infringement lawsuit that is likely to take years to play out. Medtronic (the Goliath of this story), filed a lawsuit against Axonics Modulation Technologies (the David of the story), alleging infringement of four patents related to Medtronic's SNM lead placement procedure and implant recharging technologies. The technology is currently indicated for treating patients with debilitating bowel and bladder conditions. The suit was filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California and seeks the typical remedies for patent infringement, including damages and an injunction. For those unfamiliar with the Medtronic vs. Axonics story up to this point, here is a quick rundown of recent events that have transpired in this market: Medtronic pioneered the sacral neuromodulation market over 20 years ago with its InterStim device. Axonics won FDA approval in September to market its implantable rechargeable sacral neuromodulation (r-SNM) device for the treatment of fecal incontinence, and the company is expected to get FDA approval for overactive bladder and urinary retention any time now. The fecal incontinence approval ...
Source: MDDI - Category: Medical Devices Authors: Tags: Business Implants Source Type: news