J&J to pay doc $482M to settle patent suit
A federal judge from Texas has ordered Johnson & Johnson, and its subsidiary Cordis, to pay $482 million to radiologist Bruce Saffran, MD, after the jury found that the company infringed Saffran’s patent (No. 5,363,760)—Method and Apparatus for Managing Macromolecular Distribution.
The 12 jurors at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas deliberated the case for two hours before making their final decision. The lawsuit, filed back in 2007, alleged that the Cordis Cypher drug-eluting stent (DES) infringed on Saffran’s cardiac stent patent.
In 2008, a federal court found Boston Scientific guilty of infringing the same patent and made the company pay $431.9 million. The jury had found that Boston Scientific’s Taxus DES infringed Saffran’s patent.
“We are gratified that a second jury has found that Dr. Saffran’s patent was valid and willfully infringed and that it constituted a significant medical advancement allowing the development of the drug-eluting cardiac stent, as recognized by the $482 million verdict,” said Paul R. Taskier, a senior partner at Dickstein Shapiro and Albritton law firm.
The 12 jurors at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas deliberated the case for two hours before making their final decision. The lawsuit, filed back in 2007, alleged that the Cordis Cypher drug-eluting stent (DES) infringed on Saffran’s cardiac stent patent.
In 2008, a federal court found Boston Scientific guilty of infringing the same patent and made the company pay $431.9 million. The jury had found that Boston Scientific’s Taxus DES infringed Saffran’s patent.
“We are gratified that a second jury has found that Dr. Saffran’s patent was valid and willfully infringed and that it constituted a significant medical advancement allowing the development of the drug-eluting cardiac stent, as recognized by the $482 million verdict,” said Paul R. Taskier, a senior partner at Dickstein Shapiro and Albritton law firm.