Sam Brusco, Associate Editor03.22.24
Medtronic revealed that the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) affirmed validity of claims in two of its patents in the ongoing patent infringement lawsuit filed against Axonics over sacral neuromodulation (SNM) technologies.
Altogether, the PTAB has now affirmed the validity of five of the Medtronic patents being contested in this lawsuit.
Medtronic will now ask the federal court in the Central District of California, where it has a pending infringement lawsuit, to lift its stay and proceed to trial to present its case in front of a jury.
"It's now past time for Axonics to stand up in a court of law and take responsibility for its unauthorized use and infringement of Medtronic's intellectual property," said Mira Sahney, president of Medtronic’s pelvic health business. "We respect the intellectual property of innovators, and our patent system exists to benefit society by encouraging the kind of innovation that Medtronic invests in. We are pleased with the PTAB's decision, and we are confident that the evidence at trial will show that Axonics improperly used and profited from Medtronic's patented technology."
Last month, Medtronic filed a complaint with the ITC and parallel action in the U.S. Court for the District of Delaware seeking to stop Axonics from selling and importing products what infringe two further Medtronic patents covering MRI compatibility of implantable medical devices.
Axonics plans to seek review of the PTAB’s finding that the remaining claims were not unpatentable.
“We are pleased with the PTAB’s decision finding numerous claims of the ‘314 patent unpatentable,” said Raymond W. Cohen, Axonics’ CEO. “Axonics will continue to vigorously defend itself against Medtronic’s claims while we remain focused on fulfilling our mission of changing the lives of patients suffering from bladder and bowel dysfunction.”
Altogether, the PTAB has now affirmed the validity of five of the Medtronic patents being contested in this lawsuit.
Medtronic will now ask the federal court in the Central District of California, where it has a pending infringement lawsuit, to lift its stay and proceed to trial to present its case in front of a jury.
"It's now past time for Axonics to stand up in a court of law and take responsibility for its unauthorized use and infringement of Medtronic's intellectual property," said Mira Sahney, president of Medtronic’s pelvic health business. "We respect the intellectual property of innovators, and our patent system exists to benefit society by encouraging the kind of innovation that Medtronic invests in. We are pleased with the PTAB's decision, and we are confident that the evidence at trial will show that Axonics improperly used and profited from Medtronic's patented technology."
Last month, Medtronic filed a complaint with the ITC and parallel action in the U.S. Court for the District of Delaware seeking to stop Axonics from selling and importing products what infringe two further Medtronic patents covering MRI compatibility of implantable medical devices.
Axonics’ response to the latest decision
The PTAB issued its decision with respect to Patent Nos. 8,626,314 (“the ‘314 patent”) and 8,036,756 (“the ‘756 patent”). Medtronic has asserted these patents, which expired in 2021 and 2022, against Axonics’ proprietary tined lead design. Today, the PTAB invalidated 10 of the 15 challenged claims in Medtronic’s ‘314 patent and declined to invalidate the challenged claims in the ‘756 patent over one Administrative Patent Judge’s dissenting opinion. The district court case where Medtronic has asserted these patents is currently stayed based on these IPRs as well as pending IPRs on other Medtronic asserted patents.Axonics plans to seek review of the PTAB’s finding that the remaining claims were not unpatentable.
“We are pleased with the PTAB’s decision finding numerous claims of the ‘314 patent unpatentable,” said Raymond W. Cohen, Axonics’ CEO. “Axonics will continue to vigorously defend itself against Medtronic’s claims while we remain focused on fulfilling our mission of changing the lives of patients suffering from bladder and bowel dysfunction.”