Covidien gets $176.5m award in patent litigation case against Ethicon Endo-Surgery

A US federal court has awarded Covidien a $176.5 million verdict in a patent infringement case that it brought against Ethicon Endo-Surgery.

Covidien is a global producer and distributor of innovative healthcare products such as medical devices, pharmaceuticals and medical Supplies.

The court awarded Covidien the $176.5 million verdict upon ruling that “several claims of Covidien’s patents were valid, enforceable, and infringed by Ethicon.”

The court found that Ethicon infringed Covidien’s U.S. Patents 6,063,050, 6,468,286, and 6,682,544, each relating to ultrasonic cutting and coagulation surgical devices.

The amount of the verdict, which could be appealed, was based on an 8 percent royalty rate on infringing sales through March 2012, plus prejudgment interest.

The two medical companies are both in the US.

By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi