Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1199901
20 DEVICES & IMPLANTS Judge declines to bar former NuVasive employee from taking clients to Alphatec Spine By Angie Stewart A Florida judge denied NuVasive's request to bar a former spine sales representative from solicit- ing customers on behalf of his new employer, Alphatec Spine, Bloomberg Law reported. NuVasive accused Christopher LeDuff of soliciting its cus- tomers and employees for Alphatec Spine — a direct com- petitor — in violation of common law and noncompete agreements. Two days aer being fired from NuVasive, on Sept. 20, Mr. LeDuff or someone he worked with "provided a hospital within his NuVasive sales territory with pricing for Al- phatec's products," NuVasive alleged. "Surgeries in which Alphatec's products will be used are being scheduled even though there is no past history of Alphatec products being used in this hospital." According to Mr. LeDuff 's LinkedIn profile, he joined Al- phatec Spine as a managing director in September. NuVasive filed suit on Sept. 23, seeking damages from Mr. LeDuff and an injunction that would bar him from solic- iting NuVasive employees and customers or competing with NuVasive within his sales territory. e medical devicemaker also sought damages against Gregory Soufleris and Absolute Medical Systems, a com- pany that distributes Alphatec Spine products, for aiding and abetting Mr. LeDuff 's alleged contract violations. Mr. Soufleris, a former NuVasive sales representative who now works for Absolute Medical Systems, allegedly re- cruited Mr. LeDuff in the summer of 2019 despite know- ing about Mr. LeDuff 's noncompete and nonsolicitation contracts. On Nov. 13, Judge Sheri Polster Chappell ruled that NuVa- sive failed to demonstrate why its noncompete agreement with Mr. LeDuff is necessary to protect business interests and denied the company's request for a preliminary in- junction. n Stryker bets on extremities, to buy Wright Medical for $5.4B: 4 key notes By Laura Dyrda Stryker signed a definitive agreement to acquire Wright Medical Group for $5.4 billion in early November. Five things to know: 1. Stryker agreed to purchase issued and outstanding ordinary shares of Wright Medical for $30.75 per share, a total equity value of around $4 billion. Including convertible notes, the enterprise value of the transaction is $5.4 billion. 2. Wright Medical is focused on extremities and biologics, and will complement Stryker's trauma and extremities business. 3. The board of directors from both companies approved the transaction and plan to close during the second half of 2020. 4. Stryker doesn't anticipate the acquisition will affect net earnings per diluted share and adjusted net earnings per diluted share this year. The company has not updated its expected adjusted earn- ings per share for the full year. n Stryker receives FDA clearance for 3D-printed expandable interbody device — 4 things to know By Alan Condon The FDA granted Stryker FDA 510(k) clearance for its Sahara Later- al 3D expandable interbody system in late October. Four things to know: 1. The expandable implant features K2M's Lamellar 3D Titanium Technology, which uses a 3D printing process and high-energy la- ser beam to develop porous, titanium surfaces. 2. The Sahara Lateral device has expansion capabilities designed for surgeons to achieve up to 30 degrees of sagittal spinal correc- tion in skeletally mature patients. 3. The implant can be adjusted intraoperatively from a lateral ap- proach or in a staged posterior approach following osteotomy. 4. Sahara Lateral was exhibited at the Society for Minimally Inva- sive Spine Surgery Annual Forum in Las Vegas from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2. n