FTC critiques Medtronic’s legal reasoning in antitrust case

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission wants to have a say in Applied Medical Resources’ antitrust lawsuit against Medtronic.

Rancho Santa Margarita, California–based Applied Medical filed the lawsuit in February in U.S. District Court in Central California.

The lawsuit accuses the medtech giant of using its size to shut down competition in the U.S. market for advanced bipolar devices used to cut tissue and seal blood vessels. Medtronic responded with a motion to dismiss.

This week, the FTC sought permission from the court to file an amicus brief that would “correct some of Medtronic’s erroneous assertions and mistaken legal points” made in its argument for dismissal.

Medtronic’s legal arguments run against U.S. Supreme Court precedent that anticompetitiveness should not be judged according to a business arrangement’s formal terms but on its its “practical effects,” the FTC said in the brief it wants to submit.

What Applied …
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Medtronic faces antitrust lawsuit over surgical devices

The Voyant advanced bipolar system [Image courtesy of Applied Medical Resources]Applied Medical Resources is accusing Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) of using its size to shut down competition in the U.S. market for advanced bipolar devices used to cut tissue and seal blood vessels.

Rancho Santa Margarita, California–based Applied Medical filed an antitrust complaint yesterday in Central California’s U.S. District Court.

“We are proud to be a leader in this competitive and growing space,” a Medtronic spokesperson said in a statement shared with MassDevice. “The claims are baseless and Medtronic will defend against the lawsuit filed by Applied Medical.”

In its lawsuit, Applied Medical said Medtronic has a dominant 78% share of the advanced bipolar device market with its Ligasure device — and it has dominance when it comes to a host of other surgical devices.

The privately held company accused the publicly traded medtech giant of usi…

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