HDC Medical, Inc. v. Minntech Corp
A U.S. District Court judge in Minnesota granted summary judgment to defendant Minntech Corporation, a manufacturer of equipment and supplies used by kidney dialysis clinics, in an antitrust case involving allegations of monopolization, attempted monopolization, and illegal tying of products. The plaintiff, HDC Medical, alleged that Minntech had acted anticompetitively by creating economic incentives for customers of its dialyzer reprocessing system (Renatron) to use exclusively its sterilant (Renalin). HDC claimed that Minntech's business practices foreclosed sales of its germicide product (Peracidin), and claimed damages of $7 million, which would be trebled if the court ruled in its favor.
Analysis Group Vice President George Kosicki filed an expert report in which he analyzed issues of market definition and market power, and also critiqued the opposing expert’s damages claims. In his report, Dr. Kosicki concluded that “Minntech’s business practices that allegedly tie the sales of Renalin to the sales of its Renatron reprocessing systems are not anticompetitive in that they still allow for competition on the merits.” The judge cited Dr. Kosicki’s analysis in her decision.
The decision was affirmed by the Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit.