Medtronic unit hit with $106.5 million heart-valve verdict

(Reuters) — A unit of medical device maker Medtronic PLC must pay $106.5 million to competitor Colibri Heart Valve LLC for patent infringement, a Santa Ana, California, federal jury said Wednesday.

The jury concluded after a seven-day trial that Medtronic CoreValve LLC's Evolut devices violate a Colibri patent for replacing heart valves in patients with heart disease, representatives for the companies confirmed Thursday.

A spokesperson for Medtronic said the Minneapolis-headquartered company strongly disagrees with the verdict and will appeal. An attorney for Colibri said it is “honored” by the jury's “recognition of Colibri's valuable contribution to the treatment of heart disease.”

Colorado-based Colibri sued Medtronic in 2020. It alleged doctors use Medtronic's devices in a way that infringes Colibri's patent, which covers a method for controlling the deployment of self-expanding artificial heart valves.

The patent relates to Colibri's own heart-valve implant system.