Smith & Nephew Endoscopy Awarded $85 Million in Patent Infringement Case Against Arthrex, Inc.

ANDOVER, Mass., June 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Smith & Nephew, Inc., Endoscopy Division, a subsidiary of Smith & Nephew plc (NYSE: SNN) (London Stock Exchange: SN) announced today that the jury in United States District Court in Oregon found in Smith & Nephew's favor that Arthrex, Inc., (Naples, Fla.) was guilty of infringing U.S. Patent 5,601,557, which is exclusively licensed to Smith & Nephew.

The jury found that Arthrex's Bio-SutureTak, PEEK SutureTak, PushLock and Bio-PushLock suture anchors infringe the patent and awarded Smith & Nephew $85 million for Arthrex's past infringement activities.

This is the second time Smith & Nephew won this patent infringement case in the Oregon Court.  In June 2008, a jury decided that Arthrex willfully infringed the same asserted patent.  At that time the jury awarded Smith & Nephew $14.7 million for past infringement.  In November 2009, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit revised the interpretation of a term in the patent and sent the case back to the Oregon court for a new trial based on that revised claim interpretation.  

Contact:
Media
Joe Metzger
SVP, Corporate Communications
Smith & Nephew Endoscopy
(978) 749-1330
[email protected]

Investor/Analyst
Phil Cowdy
Head of Corporate Affairs
Smith & Nephew
44 (0)20 7401 7646

About Smith & Nephew

Smith & Nephew is a global medical technology business with global leadership positions in Orthopaedics, including Reconstruction, Trauma and Clinical Therapies; Endoscopy, including Sports Medicine; and Advanced Wound Management.  Smith & Nephew is a global leader in arthroscopy and advanced wound management and is one of the leading global orthopaedics companies.

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 has distribution channels, purchasing agents and buying entities in over 90 countries worldwide.  Annual sales in 2010 were nearly $4.0 billion.

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SOURCE Smith & Nephew, Inc.

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