Defendant
1 case as defendant.
Medline Industries, Inc., often referred to simply as Medline, is an American public healthcare company headquartered in Northfield, Illinois. Founded in 1966, the company's origins trace back to 1910 with the establishment of the Northwestern Garment Factory. In June 2021, a consortium of private equity firms, including Blackstone, Carlyle, and Hellman & Friedman, acquired a majority stake in Medline in a deal valued at approximately $34 billion, though the Mills family retained a significant minority ownership. The company reported net sales of $25.5 billion in 2024 and employs over 43,000 individuals worldwide.
Medline operates as the largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies in the United States, providing a vast array of products and solutions across the continuum of care. The company manufactures and distributes over 300,000 to 550,000 medical devices and support services. Its extensive product catalog includes medical and surgical supplies, advanced wound care, apparel, durable medical equipment (DME), gloves, incontinence products, lab supplies, and pharmacy products. Medline also offers supply chain solutions and clinical programs, with operations spanning over 125 countries and territories.
In terms of patent litigation, Medline Industries, Inc. primarily appears as a defendant, consistent with its profile as a large operating company. The company has one tracked case as a defendant in our database: Lone Star SCM Systems, LP v. Medline Industries, Inc., filed in the Texas Western District Court on August 11, 2021. This posture suggests Medline is an operating company that defends against patent infringement claims rather than asserting an acquired patent portfolio.
Beyond the tracked case, Medline has been involved in other patent disputes, such as a 2002 settlement regarding protective gloves and more recent patent infringement cases in districts like the Southern District of Florida and the District of Delaware. The company has also faced significant non-patent litigation, including a False Claims Act settlement and lawsuits related to ethylene oxide exposure.
This case was filed by Lone Star SCM Systems, LP against Medline Industries, Inc. in the Texas Western District Court and was terminated on October 18, 2022.