JENA, Germany, March 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Occlutech GmbH, a leading European developer of minimally invasive implants for the treatment of structural heart disease, today announced that it has received a favourable court ruling from Stockholm, Sweden in the on-going patent litigation with AGA Medical -St Jude Medical.

In the ruling by Stockholms tingsratt , the district court of Stockholm, the court does not see any basis for AGA-St Jude's claim that the Occlutech ASD and PFO occluders violate any patent brought forward in the litigation. The Stockholm court decision thus is similar to the first instance ruling in the UK which was confirmed by the appeal court in the UK, the last one received mid 2010. The UK ruling is final as the UK supreme court did not allow an appeal requested by AGA. The favourable Stockholm ruling is also similar to first instance as well as appeal court decisions in The Hague, in the Netherlands, the last one obtained in the end of 2010.

The rulings in Sweden and The Netherlands are subject to appeal by AGA-St Jude Medical.

Throughout the litigation, Occlutech's owners and investors have funded work in maintaining and substantially strengthening Occlutech's own patent position. Meanwhile, a full pipe line of new technologies and products have been developed. In 2011 and 2012 Occlutech expects to launch additional occluders for indications such as PDA and VSD in addition to second generation ASD and PFO occluders. Also, an innovative LAA occluder, a new generation of stent grafts and cardiac valve intervention technologies are being developed.