The European Commission has closed an antitrust probe into Edwards Lifesciences after the company withdrew a policy aimed at so-called “copycat devices”.
The probe dates back to September 2023, when the Commission carried out a surprise inspection at the facility of a maker of cardiac devices.
Edwards later confirmed it was the company subject to the inspection and said it was fully cooperating.
The investigation focused on Edwards’ global unilateral pro-innovation policy, introduced in November 2019, which aimed to end the company’s support for what it considered copycat firms, including those that “largely copy, reverse engineer and duplicate innovate devices”.
The Commission said it examined whether the policy limited doctors’ freedom to take part in clinical trials and other scientific and educational activities sponsored or supported by a rival manufacturer of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) devices, a minimally invasive procedure used to replace a damaged heart valve.
The Commission said it decided to close the investigation after Edwards withdrew the policy.
It added: “The closure of the investigation is not a finding that the conduct in question complied with EU competition rules.”
Edwards has faced wider scrutiny over anti-competitive behaviour.
The company recently lost a legal battle with the US Federal Trade Commission, forcing it to abandon a planned US$1.2bn acquisition of fellow valve maker JenaValve.
