Federal Court decides in favour of Cook and W. L. Gore & Associates in patent infringement case

Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE: EW), the global leader in the science of heart valves and hemodynamic monitoring, today announced the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed a previous court decision in favor of Cook Inc. and W. L. Gore & Associates, finding the companies did not infringe Edwards' patents for modular or multi-part endovascular grafts for treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA).

While the company is disappointed in the court's ruling, it does not impact any of Edwards' businesses because the company discontinued its AAA product line in April 2006. Another co-defendant in this case settled with Edwards in January 2006 under terms including a payment of $37.5 million.