Device giant Medtronic Sofamor Danek has filed a complaint against NuVasive, alleging patent infringement by certain NuVasive products.
Nuvasive is in the process of reviewing the complaint and assessing its defenses. Based on an initial review, Alex Lukianov, the company’s Chairman and CEO, does not expect operations to be “significantly disrupted” as the company responds to the lawsuit.
The two companies first sparred when NuVasive hired former Medtronic employees. That bad blood may have been behind Lukianov’s catty response. In a recent press release he said NuVasive represents “a growing threat to Medtronic’s spine business”.
Lukianov continued, “The timing of this lawsuit is strange given the fact the allegedly infringing products in some instances have been on the market for several years…Given the existing patents referenced by Medtronic in the complaint, we are also analyzing our potential counterclaims based on our own significant patent portfolio and intellectual property rights.”