Devices Interventional Cardiology Litigation

 News Release - October 7, 2009

AGA Medical Wins Patent Validity Case against Occlutech

German Federal Patent Court rules in favor of U.S. device company

MINNEAPOLIS, Oct., 7--(HSMN NewsFeed)--AGA Medical Holdings, Inc. (AGA Medical) today announced that a five-judge panel in the German Federal Patent Court in Munich has upheld the validity of an important AGA Medical patent. The court rejected a lawsuit brought by Occlutech GmbH that contended that AGA Medical's patent did not meet the standards of patentability under German law. While the ruling is open to appeal, it is effective now. The patent (EP 0 808 138 B1) pertains to AGA Medical's occlusion devices and the manufacturing process.

AGA Medical is a leading developer of interventional devices for the minimally invasive treatment of cardiovascular defects and peripheral vascular disease. In December 2008, a German appeals court ruled in favor of AGA Medical in a patent infringement proceeding against Occlutech GmbH, headquartered in Jena, Germany. Although Occlutech has filed a request to appeal the infringement decision, the decision and the injunction against Occlutech remain in force. AGA Medical has now prevailed against Occlutech in two different branches of German courts and won cases with respect to both patent validity and infringement.

About AGA Medical

AGA Medical, based in Plymouth, Minn., is a leader in developing interventional devices for the minimally invasive treatment of structural heart defects and peripheral vascular disorders. Founded in 1995 by Dr. Kurt Amplatz, a former University of Minnesota professor and researcher, AGA Medical’s range of AMPLATZER® products help improve patient outcomes, reduce length of hospital stay and accelerate patient recovery times. AMPLATZER products significantly advanced the treatment of the most common congenital “holes in the heart,” such as atrial septal defects, Patent Foramen Ovale and ventricular septal defects. More than 1,500 articles supporting the benefits of AMPLATZER products have been published in medical literature. AGA Medical markets AMPLATZER products in 101 countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.amplatzer.com.

Source: AGA Medical

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