Biotech escalates genetic analysis tech dispute

The complaint centres on profiling tech used in genetic analysis | Last year, 10x Genomics accused NanoString of infringing multiple patents related to spatial profiling.

NanoString Technologies has accused competitor 10x Genomics of infringing its ‘spatial profiling’ technology used for genetic analysis.

The suit, filed Thursday, 20 October at the US District Court for the District of Delaware, claimed that 10x’s Visium Spatial system (which provides spatial profiling for protein and/or RNA in a tissue sample) infringed one of NanoString’s patents.

The patent—US number 11,473,142—is called “Chemical compositions and uses thereof” and is directed to an “improved and novel way of spatially detecting target analytes in regions of interest”.

NanoString received the ‘142 patent from the US Patent and Trademark Office on 18 October, 2022.

“Unless 10x is enjoined from infringing the ‘142 patent, 10x’s efforts to design, develop, market, offer to sell, and sell Visium and related products will cause NanoString to suffer irreparable injury for which damages are an inadequate remedy,” alleged the claim.

Now, NanoString has asked the Delaware court to find that 10x’s alleged infringement is wilful, to order injunctive relief and to award damages.

NanoString’s complaint follows 10x’s lawsuits against NanoString. In May 2021, 10x accused NanoString of infringing multiple patents related to spatial profiling.

Then, in February this year, 10x and Harvard College sued NanoString, alleging that the company’s CosMx imaging platform infringed two patents covering its gene-mapping technology.

The February complaint alleged that NanoString’s technology infringes two Harvard patents covering “Compositions and Methods for Analyte Detection”, which are solely licensed to 10x.

Separately, in May this year, 10x and Harvard College sued Vizgen, claiming that the Massachusetts-based biotech had infringed five patents covering its molecular analysis methods.

Last year, 10x settled a long-running dispute with Bio-Rad Laboratories over patents covering genetic analysis tech, with both companies having negotiated an agreement to cross-license their products.

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