Company using dogs to ‘sniff’ for cancer sues ex-employee for trade secrets theft

A US company that uses specially-trained dogs to detect cancer through scent has accused a former employee of stealing its trade secrets to found a competing company.

In a complaint, filed November 8 at the US Delaware Court of Chancery, BioScent DX alleged Heather Junqueira, who was a shareholder of and lead researcher at BioScent DX, had used its confidential business information and IP to launch her own company, BioScent Inc.

BioScent Inc allegedly used BioScent DX’s trade secrets to diagnose pets, rather than people, using the same ‘cancer sniffing’ methods.

According to the complaint, in March this year, Junqueira contacted an external third party to help her modify one of BioScent DX’s existing human screen patient control forms to screen pets instead.

BioScent DX said she conspired to misappropriate its confidential business information in order to “directly compete” against it.

Additionally, it said she used her position at BioScent DX to obtain animal samples from third parties as research for her own competing company.

As an employee, BioScent DX said Junqueira had access to customer information, research, strategic plans and pricing information, which she exploited.

Junqueira allegedly marketed her company as a “sister company” of BioScent DX, despite being warned against doing so, the complaint said. Additionally, BioScent DX claimed Junqueira continued to use its resources and money after her employment at the company was terminated.

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