Baxter Healthcare, Heartport Settle Dispute

It took Baxter Healthcare Corp. less than two weeks for its heart to heal over the five salespeople who defected to another maker of heart-repair products.

In a tersely worded statement on Feb. 12, the health-care giant’s Irvine-based cardiovascular surgery division and the company it sued, Heartport Inc. of Redwood City, said they had resolved the matter “in the best interest of both companies.” Officials of both companies refused to provide details of the settlement.

In a lawsuit filed in Orange County Superior Court on Jan. 30, Baxter accused the five individuals and Heartport of conspiring to steal trade secrets. The following day, a court commissioner temporarily enjoined the defendants from unlawfully soliciting customers that use Baxter’s heart-valve surgery products or selling products made by Baxter’s corporate archrival, St. Jude Medical Inc. of Minnesota.

Barbara Marsh covers health care for The Times. She can be reached at (714) 966-7762 and at barbara.marsh@latimes.com