LAKE ZURICH, Ill., Dec. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Fenwal Inc., a global leader focused on improving blood collection, safety and availability for patient care, reiterated its commitment to provide blood centers with Alyx(R) system supplies needed to collect lifesaving blood products, despite a new lawsuit filed yesterday against Fenwal by Haemonetics Corporation . The Fenwal(R) Alyx(R) system, introduced in 2003, is an advanced medical instrument used worldwide to collect two units of red cells from a single donor in about 30 minutes.
Fenwal will vigorously defend itself in this new litigation and has taken several actions to assure uninterrupted product supply to blood centers. As previously announced, the company has modified the separation chamber in Alyx(R) kits to avoid infringing the disputed patent claim and to comply with the earlier court’s judgment and injunction. Fenwal has openly informed Haemonetics of its redesign and introduction plans, including providing Haemonetics with drawings last April and production samples last September. In developing the modified Alyx(R) separation chamber, Fenwal followed strict design control procedures in accordance with all U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations and guidance.
Earlier this month, Fenwal began shipping Alyx(R) kits with the modified chamber and began discontinuing U.S. sales of the original chamber, nearly a year ahead of the December 2010 injunction date.
Fenwal developed and introduced the Alyx(R) system independent of the disputed patent. Haemonetics, which purchased the patent from a third-party inventor, has not incorporated the technology into any commercial product.
CONTACT: Tanya Tyska of Fenwal Inc., +1-847-550-2732,
Tanya.Tyska@fenwalinc.com
Web site: http://www.fenwalinc.com/
