District Court Invalidates KCI Patents and Renders Judgment in Favor of Smith & Nephew

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Oct. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Advanced Wound Management division of Smith & Nephew, Inc., a subsidiary of Smith & Nephew plc (LSE: SN; NYSE: SNN) today announced that the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas entered a favorable judgment in the patent litigation brought by Kinetic Concepts Inc. (NYSE: KCI) relating to the Smith & Nephew RENASYS™-F (Foam) dressing kit. The Court ruled that U.S. patents 5,645,081 and 7,216,651, licensed to KCI, are invalid due to obviousness.  As a result of this ruling, the RENASYS™-F (Foam) dressing kit will continue to be fully available in the United States. This judgment overturns a previous jury verdict from March 10, 2010.

"We are pleased with the Court's judgment that KCI's patents are indeed invalid, which re-affirms our belief that our NPWT offering does not infringe any valid patents," said Robin Carlstein, Senior Vice President, Smith & Nephew Advanced Wound Devices. "We look forward to continuing to compete in the dynamic NPWT market, providing clinicians and patients - the ultimate beneficiaries of this decision - with our wide and growing range of treatment options."

This judgment is consistent with court decisions invalidating KCI's related patents in the United Kingdom and Germany.

The RENASYS system enables clinicians to tailor NPWT to meet unique needs of patients and the specific requirements of their wounds, with clear improvements in patient comfort, ease of use and cost-effectiveness.

For more information about Smith & Nephew, please visit www.smith-nephew.com.

About Smith & Nephew

Smith & Nephew is a global medical technology business with global leadership positions in Orthopaedics, including Reconstruction, Trauma and Clinical Therapies; Sports Medicine; and Advanced Wound Management.  

Smith & Nephew is dedicated to helping improve people's lives.  The Company prides itself on the strength of its relationships with its surgeons and professional healthcare customers, with whom its name is synonymous with high standards of performance, innovation and trust.  The Company operates in many countries around the world.  Annual sales in 2009 were nearly $3.8 billion.

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SOURCE Smith & Nephew