French court sides with Medtrum in patent fight with Insulet

A Paris court invalidated five claims in Insulet’s European patent and rejected its €3.1 million damages demand against Medtrum over the TouchCare Nano insulin pump. The first-instance ruling also leaves Medtrum with partial relief on costs after a sales restriction in France had already expired.

Why it matters: - The ruling removes a major legal threat to Medtrum’s TouchCare Nano in France, at least at the trial-court level. - The decision also weakens Insulet’s patent position in France by invalidating five claims from European patent EP 2 438 957. - The case shows how patent disputes can directly affect market access for diabetes devices.

What happened: - On September 4, 2026, the Paris Judicial Court ruled in Medtrum’s favor on key patent issues in the dispute with Insulet. - The court found five claims in Insulet’s European patent EP 2 438 957 invalid in France. - Insulet had accused Medtrum’s TouchCare Nano insulin pump of infringing the patent and sought about €3.1 million in damages. - The court rejected the infringement claims and the damages claim. - The ruling is a first-instance decision and is not immediately enforceable on the invalidity findings.

The details: - The case began in April 2023, when Insulet filed a patent infringement lawsuit in France over TouchCare Nano. - In July 2026, Insulet obtained a temporary court order restricting sales of the pump in France. - Those sales restrictions stayed in place until the patent expired that September. - Medtrum denied the infringement allegations and challenged the validity of the patent claims. - The court compared the patent with earlier published technologies. - The judges found that claims 1 and 3-6 lacked inventive step. - The court said a skilled professional could have reached the same solutions using existing knowledge. - Insulet was ordered to pay Medtrum an initial €50,000 for losses tied to the earlier sales restrictions. - The final amount for those losses has not yet been determined. - Insulet also must cover court costs and pay Medtrum €150,000 toward legal expenses. - The court separately reviewed promotional activity for TouchCare Nano in France. - It found that certain promotional activities amounted to unfair competition. - The court ordered the Medtrum entities involved to pay Insulet France SAS €50,000 in damages. - The court rejected Insulet’s request to remove the related content. - The court also rejected a broader advertising ban. - The full judgment is Paris Judicial Court decision of September 4, 2026, Case No. 23/05931.

Between the lines: - Medtrum secured its main litigation objective by defeating the patent infringement claims tied to TouchCare Nano. - Insulet still won a narrower unfair-competition ruling, which limits the scope of Medtrum’s total victory. - The split outcome suggests the dispute is not fully resolved, even though the core patent claims fell in France. - Medtrum’s statement frames the case as part of a broader push to protect its own diabetes technology portfolio as it expands.

What's next: - Medtrum said it will continue developing CGM, insulin delivery and automated insulin delivery technologies. - The company said it will keep protecting its work as those technologies reach more markets. - Any further challenge to the French ruling would determine whether the invalidity findings stand. - The separate damages and cost awards will need to be finalized before the full financial impact is clear.