Defendant
1 case as defendant.
Embody Inc., commonly known as Embody, is a regenerative medicine company headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, United States. Founded in 2014, the company was acquired by Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc. on January 5, 2023, for an upfront payment of $155 million plus up to an additional $120 million in milestone payments, and operates as an operating subsidiary. In 2022, Embody's estimated annual revenue was $3.6 million.
Embody focuses on the development and commercialization of implantable medical devices for soft tissue restoration and regeneration, utilizing expertise in biomaterial design, biofabrication, nanotechnology, and medical devices. Key product lines include the Tapestry Biointegrative Implant, designed to support tendon and ligament healing, and the Tapestry RC Arthroscopic Delivery & Fixation System, specifically for arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. The company also offers ActivBraid, a high-strength collagen-based suture technology. These products address orthopedic applications such as Achilles tendon, rotator cuff, ACL grafts, and foot and ankle procedures.
Embody exhibits an active two-way patent litigation posture, appearing as both a plaintiff and a defendant in tracked cases. The company is involved in a dispute with LifeNet Health. Embody Inc. is currently a plaintiff in an inter partes review (IPR) filed against LifeNet Health before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), initiated in December 2024. Concurrently, Embody Inc. is a defendant, alongside its parent company Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc., in a patent infringement lawsuit filed by LifeNet Health in the Virginia Eastern District Court, which commenced in September 2023.
The litigation with LifeNet Health centers on allegations of patent infringement and tortious interference, specifically concerning Embody's Tapestry Biointegrative Implant and ActivBraid. LifeNet Health claims Embody utilized its patented electrospinning technology and that former LifeNet employees were instrumental in Embody's development. In response, Embody and Zimmer Biomet have challenged the validity of LifeNet's "Aligned Fiber and Method of Use Thereof" patents (U.S. Patent Numbers 10,137,223 and 11,318,227) at the PTAB, with trial instituted in June 2025.
This district court case involves allegations of patent infringement filed by LifeNet Health against Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc. and Embody Inc. under U.S. Patent Laws.