Smith & Nephew Inc. Endoscopy Division Tuesday announced the U.S. District Court in Oregon has granted a preliminary injunction in Smith & Nephew's favor in a patent infringement case against Arthrotek Inc. and its parent, Biomet Inc.

According to the press release, Smith & Nephew Endoscopy and Dr. John O. Hayhurst sued Arthrotek and Biomet earlier this year, claiming Arthrotek's Surefire meniscal repair device infringed a U.S. patent owned by Hayhurst and under exclusive license to Smith & Nephew. The ruling enjoins Arthrotek from manufacturing or selling the device in the United States.

Greg Sasso, Biomet vice president of corporate development and communications, said today, "It's (Arthrotek's Surefire) a very minor product, representing only approximately $100,000 of Biomet's $2 billion in annual sales. We are looking at alternative designs, products or technologies to replace it."

Smith & Nephew made local news in 2003 when Centerpulse accepted Zimmer's takeover offer over Smith & Nephew's bid. By acquiring Centerpulse, Zimmer became the world's largest orthopedic company.

Speculation has resurfaced about a bid or buyout of Smith & Nephew. According to a Dow Jones report, most likely suitors are Zimmer, Johnson & Johnson and Stryker, but an analyst said, "The first two would have antitrust issues, while Stryker has said it does not plan to make any big acquisitions over the next couple years." Biomet also was mentioned as a possibility. Another analyst suggests Medtronic, as its businesses would have less overlap. [[In-content Ad]]