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29 May 2019Biotechnology

BGI takes Illumina to court over patent infringement in US

A subsidiary of China-based genome sequencing company BGI has filed a patent infringement suit against a US competitor.

In a complaint filed at the US District Court for the District of Delaware yesterday, May 28, the subsidiary, Complete Genomics, said Illumina had infringed various claims of one of its patents (US number 9,222,132).

The patent covers “methods and compositions for efficient base calling in sequencing reactions”. According to Complete Genomics, a number of Illumina’s products infringe the patent.

These products include Illumina’s “two-channel” DNA sequencing systems. Additionally, Illumina is allegedly infringing through the sale of its “library preparation kits” to prepare DNA fragments for sequencing and “cluster generation and sequencing kits” to immobilise, amplify and sequence the fragments.

The DNA sequencing systems are used to automate the DNA sequencing process.

Complete Genomics also argued that Illumina’s customers’ use of the sequencing system in the US directly infringes the ‘132 patent.

The two parties are involved in various patent litigation across the world.

Earlier in May, Illumina said it had filed a patent infringement suit in Denmark against BGI’s Europe branch, alleging that BGI’s sequencing products infringe one of its patents (EU number 3,002,289). The patent covers “sequencing-by-synthesis chemistry”.

According to Illumina, the sequencing-by-synthesis technology uses four fluorescently-labelled nucleotides to sequence tens of millions of clusters of DNA.

In an announcement at the time, Charles Dadswell, senior vice president and general counsel for Illumina, said: “Illumina will continue to vigorously protect our patented technology and file patent suits where appropriate when our patents are infringed.”

In March, Illumina sued Latvia MGI Tech, another BGI subsidiary, in Germany. It said Latvia had infringed one of its patents (EU number 1,530,578,B1) which also covers sequencing-by-synthesis chemistry.

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More on this story

Americas
2 January 2019   Ariosa Diagnostics, a subsidiary of Swiss healthcare firm Roche, has won a patent dispute with American biotechnology firm Illumina.
Americas
2 July 2019   Genetic sequencing company Illumina has continued its campaign of filing patent lawsuits against rival BGI, with the filing of three additional infringement suits.
Big Pharma
4 October 2019   A US subsidiary of Chinese genome sequencing company BGI has filed a patent infringement counterclaim against Illumina.

More on this story

Americas
2 January 2019   Ariosa Diagnostics, a subsidiary of Swiss healthcare firm Roche, has won a patent dispute with American biotechnology firm Illumina.
Americas
2 July 2019   Genetic sequencing company Illumina has continued its campaign of filing patent lawsuits against rival BGI, with the filing of three additional infringement suits.
Big Pharma
4 October 2019   A US subsidiary of Chinese genome sequencing company BGI has filed a patent infringement counterclaim against Illumina.