Medtronic Fires More Claims at Axonics

Medtronic filed an amendment Tuesday to its lawsuit against Axonics Modulation Technologies, adding three more patent infringement claims to the suit. The original lawsuit, filed earlier this month, alleged infringement of four patents related to Medtronic's sacral neuromodulation lead placement procedure and implant recharging technologies.
 
"Medtronic believes competition drives innovation and broader market awareness, which is good for the industry and for patients, and we welcome competitors who play by the rules and existing laws," Medtronic reiterated in a statement e-mailed on Wednesday. "We are also committed to protecting our proprietary technology and intellectual property, which drives our continued innovation. We believe these additional claims further confirm the merits of our complaint."
 
Axonics CEO Ray Cohen has previously said he believes Medtronic's claims are without merit and are an attempt to suppress competition. He also noted during a recent earnings call that Axonics has invested "substantial" time and resources to understanding the sacral neuromodulation competitive landscape since the company's inception in October 2013, and "we have been very careful to respect the intellectual property rights of all others in the design of our products."