Nevro faces $20m damages in patent dispute with Boston Scientific

Medical device company Nevro has been hit with a $20m damages verdict after a US jury found that it had infringed two patents owned by Boston Scientific.

Nevro issued a  statement after the ruling was delivered at the US District Court for the District of Delaware on Monday, November 1.

"We disagree with the finding by the jury and plan to appeal," said Kashif Rashid, Nevro's general counsel.

The dispute arose in 2016 when the California-based company sued Boston Scientific over the launch of a 10kHz spinal cord stimulation system, which allegedly infringed its IP.

Boston Scientific countered by accusing Nevro of infringing four of its patents.

On Monday, the jury found that Nevro had infringed two of these patents, US numbers 7,891,085 and 8,019,439, and awarded Boston Scientific $20 million.

These patents are directed to ways of manufacturing spinal cord stimulation (SCS) leads, which Nevro obtains from a third-party supplier.

In its statement, Nevro insisted that the jury award would not have a material impact on Nevro's business.

Nevro's chairman and CEO, Keith Grossman, stated: "This lawsuit has absolutely no implications on Nevro's commercial efforts for current or planned products, and is directed to manufacturing methods implemented by our third-party supplier. Nevro will continue to be the exclusive provider of HFX with 10 kHz Therapy, which the FDA determined to be superior to Boston Scientific's SCS therapy.”

A spokesperson for Boston Scientific said in an emailed statement: “We are gratified that the jury upheld Boston Scientific spinal cord stimulation lead patents and recognised that Nevro should pay for infringing those patents,”.

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