A Medical Device Daily

C. R. Bard (Murray Hill, New Jersey) said that the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri, has granted Bard's summary judgment motion and dismissed with prejudice all counts in the previously-disclosed class action lawsuit titled St. Francis Medical Center, et al. v. C. R. Bard, Inc., et al. St. Francis may appeal the court's decision to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.

The court dismissed all counts of a class-action lawsuit led by St. Francis Medical Center that alleged the company conspired to exclude competitors from the urological catheter market. The medical center in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, was seeking damages of up to $200 million, a figure C.R. Bard said was "unsupported by the facts."

The maker of medical devices, along with Tyco International, had faced a class-action complaint in early 2007 led by Southeast Missouri Hospital. The complaint was later amended to add St. Francis Medical Center and was later renamed when Southeast's motion to serve as class representative was dismissed. Tyco was also later removed from the action.

St. Francis further alleged the company sought to maintain market share by engaging in conduct in violation of state and federal antitrust laws, C.R. Bard disclosed in its 10-Q Securities and Exchange Commission filing in July.

St. Francis can appeal the court's decision.