shutterstock_659631763_ci_photos
CI Photos / Shutterstock.com
29 January 2020Big PharmaEdward Pearcey

Natera sues ArcherDX for oncology patent infringement

DNA testing developer Natera is suing ArcherDX, a molecular technology company, for allegedly infringing a patent related to multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology.

Natera’s complaint alleges that ArcherDX’s sale and use of certain cell-free DNA-based oncology products infringes its “methods for simultaneous amplification of Target loci” patent, number 10,538,814.

The technique is often used to increase the information content of a sample, as working with minimal amounts of biological material is common in clinical analysis.

The complaint was filed in the US District Court of Delaware.

According to a statement released by Natera, ArcherDX has introduced oncology products using Natera’s multiplex PCR technology, including a tool for personalised cancer monitoring.

“Natera will enforce its IP rights and will stop unlicensed use of its patented technology in the field of minimal residual disease and personalised cancer monitoring,” said Gary Frischling from the law firm Milbank, acting for Natera, in a statement released by the company.

Natera has the exclusive rights to perform and license personalised monitoring and MRD testing in oncology using its patented multiplex PCR technology, continued the statement. As such, Natera is seeking “injunctive relief and monetary damages”.

The patent claims methods for using multiplex PCR technology to simultaneously amplify multiple nucleic acid regions of interest in a single reaction before using high-throughput sequencing to characterise the nucleic acids.

It’s one of more than 200 issued or pending in Natera’s global IP portfolio, including more than 60 in the field of oncology, said the statement.

According to its website, Boulder-based ArcherDX is a “molecular technology company dedicated to developing breakthrough solutions that advance the application of personalised genomic medicine”, using next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology for detecting variants associated with cancers and inherited diseases.

Natera offers proprietary genetic testing services to obstetricians, oncologists, transplant nephrologists, academic researchers, drug developers, and genetic laboratories through its cloud-based software platform, said the statement.

Did you enjoy reading this story?  Sign up to our free daily newsletters and get stories sent like this straight to your inbox.


More on this story

Americas
27 March 2019   Stanford University has accused genetic testing company Natera of infringing two patents that cover a non-invasive method of testing if transplanted organs are being rejected.
Big Pharma
14 May 2020   Natera has agreed to license Illumina IP covering non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT), in a deal that sees the pair settle all outstanding patent litigation over the technology.
Big Pharma
13 May 2021   Generics manufacturer Invitae has filed a lawsuit against rival company Natera claiming that its cancer detection test infringes one of Invitae’s DNA sequencing patents.

More on this story

Americas
27 March 2019   Stanford University has accused genetic testing company Natera of infringing two patents that cover a non-invasive method of testing if transplanted organs are being rejected.
Big Pharma
14 May 2020   Natera has agreed to license Illumina IP covering non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT), in a deal that sees the pair settle all outstanding patent litigation over the technology.
Big Pharma
13 May 2021   Generics manufacturer Invitae has filed a lawsuit against rival company Natera claiming that its cancer detection test infringes one of Invitae’s DNA sequencing patents.