Alcon Hit with $34M Penalty for Patent Infringement Against Sight Sciences

Sight Sciences has won a positive jury trial verdict of $34 million associated with the patent infringement case it filed on September 16, 2021 against Alcon Inc., Alcon Vision, LLC, Alcon Research, LLC, and Ivantis, Inc. (collectively, "Alcon") in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware.

Breakdown of the $34 Million Verdict

The verdict, delivered on Friday, April 26, 2024, after a five-day trial, found that Alcon had willfully infringed all three patents asserted by Sight Sciences, awarding $5.5 million in lost profits and $28.5 million in royalty damages. These damages relate to sales of the Hydrus Microstent from its commercial introduction through the trial period.

The specific patents involved are U.S. Patent Nos. 8,287,482, 9,370,443, and 11,389,328. The court has yet to decide on possible enhanced damages or other remedies following the willfulness verdict. The case was represented by Cooley LLP and is open to appeal.

CEO Paul Badawi Highlights the Importance of Innovation Protection

Paul Badawi, co-founder and CEO of Sight Sciences, expressed satisfaction with the trial’s outcome: “Ever since Sight Sciences filed its first surgical glaucoma patent application in 2006, the Company has invested considerable capital in research and development to create new and innovative technologies, striving to pioneer novel treatments for chronic eye disease. Our commitment to these investments underscores our mission to expand patient access to transformative and interventional technologies, ultimately elevating the standard of care and enhancing patient outcomes,” said Badawi.

He added, “Over the past eighteen years, we have pioneered various important and proprietary microinvasive surgical glaucoma methods and devices, including intracanalicular scaffolding, bladeless goniotomy, ab interno canaloplasty, ab interno trabeculotomy, and combinations of these methods. Given the substantial investments we have made in our surgical innovations on behalf of our surgeon customers and glaucoma patients, we believe safeguarding our intellectual property portfolio is paramount, and we are pleased with the jury’s verdict. Our attention remains steadfast on equipping eye care providers with efficacious technologies and executing on our long-term growth strategy in surgical glaucoma and dry eye disease.”

What’s Next for Sight Sciences and Alcon?

Although the jury has delivered its verdict, the case remains open to appeal. The court will also decide on possible enhanced damages or other remedies based on the willfulness verdict. Sight Sciences’ legal representation by Cooley LLP highlights the importance of this litigation in protecting its proprietary innovations and ensuring the company’s long-term growth.

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