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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2018
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES | COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES On October 30, 2015, Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc., a subsidiary of Boston Scientific Corporation ("Boston Scientific"), filed a lawsuit in the district court in Düsseldorf, Germany against Edwards Lifesciences and its German subsidiary, Edwards Lifesciences Services GmbH, alleging that Edwards Lifesciences' SAPIEN 3 heart valve infringes certain claims of a Boston Scientific German national patent arising from EP 2 749 254 B1 (the "'254 patent") related to paravalvular sealing technology. On February 26, 2016, Boston Scientific added the German national patent arising from EP 2 926 766 (the "'766 patent") to the infringement allegations. On April 8, 2016, Boston Scientific filed a similar patent infringement action in district court in Paris, France relating to these patents. The complaints seek unspecified money damages and injunctive relief. The Company intends to defend itself vigorously in these matters. The French suit has been stayed pending the outcome of validity proceedings on the '254 and '766 patents. On March 9, 2017, the German district court ruled that the SAPIEN 3 heart valve infringes the '254 and '766 patents, and that Boston Scientific is entitled to enforce an injunction against SAPIEN 3 sales in Germany upon payment of a €90.0 million bond for each patent, but has not yet elected to do so. Edwards Lifesciences has appealed this infringement decision. In addition, Edwards Lifesciences filed oppositions at the European Patent Office ("EPO") challenging the validity of the '254 and '766 patents. On October 19, 2017, the EPO required Boston Scientific to amend the '254 patent. On June 13, 2018, the EPO also required Boston Scientific to amend the '766 patent. On November 2, 2015, Edwards Lifesciences LLC, a U.S. subsidiary of Edwards Lifesciences, filed a lawsuit against Sadra Medical, Inc. and Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc., two subsidiaries of Boston Scientific, in the United Kingdom in the High Court of Justice, Chancery Division, Patents Court to declare invalid and revoke the U.K. national patent corresponding to the '254 patent. Edwards Lifesciences later added Boston Scientific’s U.K. national patent corresponding to the '766 patent to this invalidity lawsuit. The Boston Scientific subsidiaries filed counterclaims against Edwards Lifesciences and three of its European subsidiaries alleging that the SAPIEN 3 heart valve infringes certain claims of the same patents and seeking unspecified monetary damages and injunctive relief. On March 3, 2017, the U.K. Patents Court ruled that Boston Scientific's '254 patent is invalid, and that its '766 patent is valid and infringed. The court also ruled that Boston Scientific is entitled to an injunction against SAPIEN 3 sales in the United Kingdom, but stayed the injunction pending appeal. Both sides appealed this decision and on March 25, 2018, the U.K. Court of Appeal affirmed the lower court's decision. The Court of Appeal has remanded the case to the U.K. Patents Court for further proceedings on damages and injunction issues. On May 24, 2018, the U.K. Patents Court confirmed the injunction, but stayed it for 12 months. On July 30, 2018, Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. filed another lawsuit against Edwards Lifesciences Limited and Edwards Lifesciences AG in the same U.K. court alleging infringement of the ‘766 patent by the Edwards Sapien 3 Ultra product. Trial is scheduled for December 10, 2018. On June 16, 2017, Edwards Lifesciences filed a lawsuit against Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. in Germany in the district court in Munich, seeking a court order that Edwards Lifesciences is a co-owner of the '254 patent based on rights it has acquired. On July 31, 2017, Edwards Lifesciences filed a similar lawsuit with regard to the '766 patent. Proceedings are ongoing. On November 23, 2015, Edwards Lifesciences PVT, Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of Edwards Lifesciences, filed a lawsuit in the district court in Düsseldorf, Germany for patent infringement against Boston Scientific and its German subsidiary, Boston Scientific Medizintechnik GmbH, alleging that the Lotus heart valve infringes certain claims of Edwards Lifesciences' German national patents EP 1 441 672 B1 (the "'672 patent") and 2 255 753 B1 (the "'753 patent") related to prosthetic valve and delivery system technology. Edwards Lifesciences later added its German national patent EP 2 399 550 (the "'550 patent") to this suit. The complaint sought unspecified monetary damages and injunctive relief. On March 9, 2016, the German district court ruled that the Lotus heart valve infringes the '550 patent, but does not infringe the '672 patent. The court also ruled that Edwards Lifesciences is entitled to enforce an injunction against the sales of the Lotus valve in Germany upon the payment of a €10.0 million bond, but has not yet elected to do so. Both sides have appealed this decision. The court did not rule on the '753 patent due to a March 28, 2017 EPO initial decision to revoke the '753 patent. Edwards Lifesciences has appealed the EPO's initial decision. Also, on April 13, 2018, the EPO rendered an initial decision revoking the '550 patent. Edwards Lifesciences has appealed this decision. O n April 19, 2016, Boston Scientific filed a lawsuit against Edwards Lifesciences Corporation in the Federal District Court in the District of Delaware alleging that the SAPIEN 3 heart valve infringes certain claims of Boston Scientific’s U.S. Patent 8,992,608 (the "'608 patent") related to paravalvular sealing technology and seeking unspecified monetary damages and injunctive relief. On June 9, 2016, Edwards Lifesciences LLC and Edwards Lifesciences PVT, Inc. filed counterclaims alleging that Boston Scientific’s Lotus heart valve infringes Edwards Lifesciences’ U.S. Patents 9,168,133; 9,339,383; and 7,510,575 related to prosthetic valve technology. Trial is scheduled for November 26, 2018. On October 12, 2016, Edwards Lifesciences filed an Inter Partes Review ("IPR") request with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (the "USPTO") challenging the validity of Boston Scientific's '608 patent. On March 23, 2018, the USPTO decided in Edwards Lifesciences' favor, and invalidated the '608 patent claims asserted by Boston Scientific, which appealed the decision. Also on April 19, 2016, Boston Scientific filed a lawsuit against Edwards Lifesciences Corporation in the Federal District Court in the Central District of California alleging that five of its transcatheter heart valve delivery systems and a valve crimper infringe certain claims of eight Boston Scientific U.S. patents. The complaints seek unspecified monetary damages and injunctive relief. The Company intends to defend itself vigorously in these matters and has filed IPRs challenging the validity of the Boston Scientific patents in the suit. The lawsuit has been stayed pending the outcome of these IPR proceedings. The USPTO has instituted three of the requested IPRs. The USPTO subsequently issued rulings in two of the IPR proceedings holding most of the challenged claims of the patents invalid. On October 23, 2016, Edwards Lifesciences PVT, Inc. and Edwards Lifesciences (Canada) Inc., a Canadian subsidiary of Edwards Lifesciences, filed a lawsuit against Boston Scientific and its Canadian subsidiary, Boston Scientific Ltd., as well as LivaNova PLC and LivaNova Canada Corp., its contract manufacturers, in the Federal Court in Toronto, Canada, alleging that Boston Scientific's manufacture of the Lotus valve through its contract manufacturers infringes two of Edwards Lifesciences' patents covering transcatheter heart valve technology. On February 17, 2017, Edwards added Neovasc, Inc. and Neovasc Medical Inc., additional contract manufacturers of Boston Scientific, to this lawsuit. On January 11, 2017, Edwards Lifesciences PVT, Inc. and Edwards Lifesciences SA(AG), a Swiss subsidiary of Edwards Lifesciences, filed a lawsuit against Boston Scientific Ltd and Boston Scientific Group PLC, two Irish subsidiaries of Boston Scientific, in the High Court in Dublin, Ireland alleging that Boston Scientific's manufacture of the Lotus and Lotus Edge valves infringes the '550 patent. On July 31, 2018, Symetis SA (“Symetis”), a subsidiary of Boston Scientific Corporation, filed a lawsuit in the district court in Düsseldorf, Germany against Edwards Lifesciences and its German subsidiary, Edwards Lifesciences Services GmbH, alleging that Edwards Lifesciences' SAPIEN 3 and SAPIEN 3 ULTRA heart valves infringe certain claims of a Symetis German national patent arising from EP 2 949 292 B1 related to transcatheter heart valves. On October 23, 2018, the court found that Symetis was entitled to enforce a preliminary injunction against SAPIEN 3 ULTRA sales in Germany upon payment of a €10.0 million bond but has not yet elected to do so. A full trial is scheduled for July 2019. O n August 22, 2018, Edwards Lifesciences filed a lawsuit against Boston Scientific Corporation in the Federal District Court in the District of Delaware alleging that Boston Scientific’s WATCHMAN device infringes certain claims of Edwards’ U.S. Patents 6,162,168 and 7,695,425 related to heart implant technology and seeking unspecified monetary damages. Because the ultimate outcome of the above matters involve judgments, estimates, and inherent uncertainties, and cannot be predicted with certainty, charges related to such matters could have a material adverse impact on Edwards Lifesciences' financial position, results of operations, and liquidity. In addition, Edwards Lifesciences is or may be a party to, or may otherwise be responsible for, pending or threatened lawsuits related primarily to products and services currently or formerly manufactured or performed, as applicable, by Edwards Lifesciences (the "Other Lawsuits"). The Other Lawsuits raise difficult and complex factual and legal issues and are subject to many uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the facts and circumstances of each particular case or claim, the jurisdiction in which each suit is brought, and differences in applicable law. Management does not believe that any charge relating to the Other Lawsuits would have a material adverse effect on Edwards Lifesciences’ overall financial position, results of operations, or liquidity. However, the resolution of one or more of the Other Lawsuits in any reporting period, could have a material adverse impact on Edwards Lifesciences' net income or cash flows for that period. The Company is not able to estimate the amount or range of any loss for legal contingencies for which there is no reserve or additional loss for matters already reserved. Edwards Lifesciences is subject to various environmental laws and regulations both within and outside of the United States. The operations of Edwards Lifesciences, like those of other medical device companies, involve the use of substances regulated under environmental laws, primarily in manufacturing and sterilization processes. While it is difficult to quantify the potential impact of continuing compliance with environmental protection laws, management believes that such compliance will not have a material impact on Edwards Lifesciences' financial position, results of operations, or liquidity.

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