Medela AG, a global medical technology and breastfeeding equipment company, announced today it has filed a patent nullity suit with the German Federal Patents Court against two German patents licensed to Kinetic Concepts, Inc. (NYSE: KCI). Medela requested that the court find the KCI patents null and void.
The U.S. equivalents of both German patents are currently in litigation in the US. On May 1, 2007, Medela filed a Notice of Appeal of a portion of the decision of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas in litigation brought by KCI against Medela and others asserting infringement of these U.S. patents. That case included a favorable judgment that Medela was not liable for infringing the patents at issue.
“Medela promises to bring greater choice to patients and healthcare professionals in the negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) market,” said Roman Kupper, CEO, Medela Healthcare. “By filing with the German courts today, we are making good on our commitment to provide choice to the marketplace worldwide.”
Recently, Medela Inc launched its Invia® Healing System in the U.S. A key feature of the system is its infection-preventing dual mechanism, which includes antimicrobial properties and active drainage to aid in controlling infection.
About Medela:
Medela, a privately held company, operates in the fields of Medical Technology and Breastfeeding for use by patients and healthcare professionals across a wide range of therapies and care settings. Medela focuses on providing research-based innovations for its customers. Medela, headquartered in Switzerland, serves customers through its 12 subsidiaries and a worldwide network of distribution partners in more than 90 countries. For more information, visit http://www.medelasuction.com/
