Genzyme Awarded Summary Judgment in Ala. Federal Knee Pain Device Case

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — An Alabama federal judge has awarded Genzyme Corp. summary judgment in an action concerning its knee pain medical device, ruling that the plaintiff has failed to establish medical causation and that his claims are preempted by federal law.

In two March 9 orders, Judge R. David Proctor of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama concluded that the plaintiff has not pointed to any Rule 56 evidence that the contaminated Synvisc-One injection caused him to develop septic arthritis.

Ralph Lowery received an injection of Genzyme’s Synvisc-One, a Class III medical device, to relieve pain …