German District Court Finds RENASYS™ GO NPWT System Non-infringing

SCHENEFELD, Germany, Aug. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Advanced Wound Management division of Smith & Nephew Inc., a subsidiary of Smith & Nephew plc. (LSE: SN; NYSE: SNN) today announced that the German District Court in Mannheim has ruled in its favor in the RENASYS GO patent litigation case brought by Kinetic Concepts Inc. (NYSE: KCI). In this case, the Court has found that the Smith & Nephew RENASYS GO Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) System, including its wound dressings, tubings, canisters and pumps, do not infringe on KCI's German patent EP 0 853 950 B1.

"We welcome the District Court's ruling with respect to our well known RENASYS GO NPWT System," said Robin Carlstein, Senior Vice President of Advanced Wound Devices at Smith & Nephew. "Germany is an important market for Smith & Nephew and we believe that this decision ultimately benefits patients and clinicians in Germany, who will be able to choose from our wide and dynamic NPWT offering when tailoring treatment."

Additionally, the Court ruled that specific features of the RENASYS EZ system – in particular one of its canisters when used with this device – infringes KCI's German patent EP 0 853 950 B1. This product represents a very small portion of the Smith & Nephew NPWT portfolio in Germany. The company will make appropriate modifications to this system as soon as possible in order to ensure that future sales of the RENASYS EZ system are not affected by this specific German KCI patent.  

The German patent EP 0853 950 B1 subject in the current court decision is still subject to a proceeding Nullity action in Germany brought against it by Smith & Nephew, where Smith & Nephew is arguing that the patent is not valid.

The RENASYS system enables clinicians to tailor NPWT to meet their patients' unique needs and the specific requirements of their wounds, with clear improvements in patient comfort, ease of use and cost-effectiveness.

For more information about Smith & Nephew, please visit www.smith-nephew.com.

About Smith & Nephew

Smith & Nephew is a global medical technology business with global leadership positions in Orthopaedics; including Reconstruction, Trauma and Clinical Therapies; Sports Medicine; and Advanced Wound Management.

Smith & Nephew is dedicated to helping improve people's lives.  The Company prides itself on the strength of its relationships with its surgeons and professional healthcare customers, with whom its name is synonymous with high standards of performance, innovation and trust.  The Company operates in 32 countries around the world.  Annual sales in 2009 were nearly $3.8 billion.

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SOURCE Smith & Nephew Inc.