Spine devicemaker Globus Medical is suing Life Spine for allegations of patent infringement.
The allegations involve seven of Globus Medical's patents for intervertebral expandable implants and surgical systems using them, according to a lawsuit filed in Delaware District Court Oct. 13.
Life Spine's Prolift family of expandable implants share similarities with Globus' patents, the lawsuit alleges. In filings for FDA 510(k) approval, Life Spine allegedly cited Globus' Caliber, Rise and Elsa products as "substantially equivalent predecessor devices."
Since, Life Spine has reached more than 20,000 sales of Prolift units as of January 2021, which are being used in 48 states, the lawsuit said.
Globus Medical is asking for injunctive relief and damages for infringement.
"We've invested tremendous effort and millions of dollars in research and development to create innovative technology to improve the lives of patients, generating over 256 patents related to expandable interbody implants alone," Globus Medical President and CEO Dave Demski said in an Oct. 13 news release. "Our intellectual property is a critical component in making such advancements possible, and we are committed to protecting our proprietary technology against companies that benefit from making and distributing infringing devices."
Life Spine addressed the lawsuit in an Oct. 15 news release, describing the lawsuit as "meritless."
"We will vigorously defend our company against Globus' claims," Life Spine CEO Michael Butler said in the release.
Note: This article was updated Oct. 18 to include details from Life Spine's new release.