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Judge Triples Antitrust Damages Against J&J MedTech

By  |  June 8, 2025

A federal judge has significantly increased the financial penalty Johnson & Johnson MedTech must pay following a jury verdict in a high-profile antitrust lawsuit filed by Innovative Health, a cardiology-focused reprocessing firm based in Arizona.

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    According to a statement from the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Judge James V. Selna entered a final judgment on June 5, tripling the damages awarded to Innovative Health from $147.4 million to $442.2 million. This action, which is common in cases involving proven fraud or antitrust violations, marks a critical turn in the legal battle between the two healthcare companies.

    The dispute dates back nearly a decade, when Johnson & Johnson’s Biosense Webster division — now known as Johnson & Johnson MedTech — altered its clinical support policy. Per a statement from Innovative Health, Biosense Webster ceased providing complimentary support to hospitals using reprocessed Carto 3 catheters, a move the plaintiff argued violated state and federal antitrust laws by favoring the use of new catheters purchased directly from the company.

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    A jury ruled in favor of Innovative Health in May, finding that Johnson & Johnson MedTech’s conduct unfairly restricted market competition. In response to the verdict, the medical device giant expressed disappointment. According to a statement from Johnson & Johnson MedTech provided to Cardiovascular Business, the company “strongly disagrees with the jury’s verdict” and maintains its belief that the decision will not withstand appeal.

    Despite the court’s latest ruling, Johnson & Johnson MedTech emphasized that it will comply with all judicial directives in the interim. “We strongly disagree with the jury’s verdict and believe it will not withstand appellate review,” the company reiterated in its statement, while noting its continued commitment to supporting hospitals and physicians with “high-quality technologies and clinical support services.”

    The Association of Medical Device Reprocessors (AMDR), a trade group representing companies like Innovative Health, lauded the final judgment. In a statement reacting to the decision, the organization described the outcome as “a seismic result” for the industry, potentially setting a precedent that strengthens the position of third-party reprocessing firms in the competitive medical device market.

    Source: Cardiovascular Business