AngioDynamics has provided a corporate update and acknowledged a recent, favourable US District Court ruling that impacts its vascular access business.
A press release states that in May of 2017, AngioDynamics filed a lawsuit against CR Bard (Bard) for violating United States antitrust laws with its practice of illegally tying tip location system sales to its line of peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs). On Monday, 6 August, the US District Court for the Northern District of New York rejected—in its entirety—CR Bard’s motion to dismiss AngioDynamics’ lawsuit against it.
As a result of last week’s ruling, AngioDynamics’ antitrust lawsuit against Bard will proceed.
Tip location systems are devices that can be used to aid healthcare professionals in the bedside placement of a PICC. The lawsuit claims that Bard has a dominant position in the tip location system market and will only sell the proprietary stylet necessary to operate its tip location systems preloaded in its PICCs, not separately, which would allow any type of PICC to be used with the tip location systems. By doing so, customers who want to buy Bard’s tip location systems must also buy Bard’s line of PICCs, which prevents hospitals and other medical providers from purchasing BioFlo PICCs from AngioDynamics’ vascular access business.
The press release adds that AngioDynamics’ lawsuit seeks to end Bard’s violation of the antitrust laws and to recover treble damages for losses due to Bard’s violations, as well as attorneys’ fees and other costs. AngioDynamics is represented by Philip Iovieno and Anne Nardacci of the law firm of Boies Schiller Flexner LLP.
