Medical device company Align Technology and Straumann Group have terminated discussions regarding a possible development and distribution agreement. As a result, Straumann will pay Align Technology $16 million as part of a patent settlement agreement announced in March.
The settlement ended the companies' patent disputes in the U.S., the U.K., and Brazil, including those involving ClearCorrect, a subsidiary of Straumann. As part of the agreement, the two companies had signed a nonbinding letter of intent for a five-year agreement for Straumann to distribute 5,000 Align Technology iTero Element scanners, which would have been integrated into the Straumann/Dental Wings Cares/DWOS workflow.
