Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Swedish medical technology firm Elekta said on Tuesday it was suing U.S.-based Varian Medical Systems Inc, its key rival, over allegations of patent infringement.
Elekta, a maker of equipment used in cancer treatments, said in a statement Varian's True Beam linear accelerator infringed patents owned by William Beaumont Hospital and exclusively licensed to the Swedish company.
Elekta also said it believed Varian had infringed several patents for its linear accelerator imaging system, which produces images of a tumor prior to treatment.
"That is why we filed a lawsuit yesterday," said Johan Andersson, Elekta head of investor relations, adding the company could provide no further details on the process.
Varian spokeswoman Meryl Ginsberg declined to comment on the suit on Tuesday.
The suit had been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, the company said.
Elekta has a global market share of around 40 percent while Varian's share is roughly 50 percent, Andersson said, adding that there "have been few legal disputes over the years".
Elekta, which in May fired its chief executive after results fell significantly short of forecasts, said last week it was aiming at 450 million Swedish crowns ($55 million) in cost savings in the coming two years.
reuters.com
