LAKE ZURICH, Ill., September 29, 2009 – Fenwal expects the first ALYX® kits containing its modified separation chamber to be available before the end of 2009, the company said today.
The new kit will require no change in operation of the ALYX® system and has been modified to address a court ruling from earlier this year in a patent lawsuit brought against Fenwal by Haemonetics Corporation. Fenwal has appealed the ruling, but decided to modify the chamber to assure blood centers are not disrupted by the court’s original ruling, which included an injunction on kit sales beginning December 1, 2010.
The injunction applies only to kits containing the current separation chamber. It does not apply to the ALYX® system in general or to any other ALYX® product or component. Blood centers may continue to purchase ALYX® systems and kits to support their red-cell programs.
Tanya Tyska, 847.550.2732, Tanya.Tyska@fenwalinc.com