Guidant Can’t Collect Jury Award, Judge Says

Guidant Corp. can’t collect a $140-million jury award in a patent case and may owe millions of dollars in penalties, because its key witness lied in the dispute with rival cardiac device maker St. Jude Medical Inc., a judge said.

U.S. District Judge David F. Hamilton overturned the jury award in the dispute over patents for implantable defibrillators, which are used to restore normal heart rhythm. Guidant’s chief expert witness, Purdue University biomedical engineer Joe D. Bourland, “deceived the jury, deceived the court and deceived St. Jude,” Hamilton said.

Bourland could not be reached for comment.

Shares of St. Paul, Minn.-based St. Jude rose 65 cents to $79.15. Shares of Indianapolis-based Guidant fell 10 cents to $49.80. Both trade on the NYSE.