Alcon Settles Cataract Surgery Device Litigation With J&J Surgical Vision

Just a day before a jury trial was set to begin, Alcon agreed to pay $199 million to J&J Surgical Vision to settle their intellectual property rights lawsuit over J&J’s laser-assisted cataract surgery software.

The J&J subsidiary filed a lawsuit in 2020 claiming that Alcon’s LenSx system infringed on J&J’s IFS Laser system software. Alcon had purchased the LenSx device as part of its acquisition of Aliso Viejo, Calif.-based LenSx Lasers in 2010.

In addition to the one-time payment from Alcon, the settlement includes the mutual exchange of certain intellectual property cross-licenses.

The settlement agreement will resolve “various worldwide intellectual property disputes relating to this matter,” Alcon said.