Treace Medical Alleges Patent Infringement, Unfair Competition by Stryker

Treace Medical Concepts has filed a lawsuit against Stryker and subsidiary Wright Medical, alleging infringement of nine patents related to Treace’s Lapiplasty 3D Bunion Correction technologies and unfair competition.
 
The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, seeking injunctive relief and damages.
 
Treace founder and CEO John T. Treace said the company was the first to develop, patent, and introduce an instrumented 3D bunion correction system, creating an entirely new segment of the U.S. bunion market. Treace said the company built its market presence from zero to a standard of care for bunion surgery over the last ten years.
 
“Our patented technologies have revolutionized the field of hallux valgus treatment, delivering a new paradigm of treatment in over 100,000 surgical procedures to date,” Treace told the press. “Companies such as Stryker, unfortunately, have rushed to capitalize on Treace’s pioneering research and development by launching products that, as detailed in our Complaint, infringe on Treace’s intellectual property. Moreover, we believe Stryker has also commercialized those infringing products in ways that violate competition laws.”
 
Treace said the lawsuit not only sends a message to competitors in the marketplace—particularly those infringing on the company’s intellectual property—but also reassures shareholders that Treace is committed to protecting its investments in its pioneering research and technology.
 
“Today’s action is consistent with what we stated publicly earlier this year, namely that our strategy all along has been to assert and enforce our IP rights,” Treace said. “We also continue to expect 2024 Adjusted EBITDA to improve approximately 50% compared to full-year 2023 and to reach Adjusted EBITDA breakeven in 2025.”
 
The company’s full complaint against Stryker and Wright Medical can be viewed here.