Complete Genomics notched a legal victory in its patent squabble with Illumina ($ILMN), as a federal judge threw out 9 of Illumina's 12 infringement claims.
Illumina filed suit back in 2010, claiming that Complete Genomics violated one of its DNA sequencing patents, but the latest ruling by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Laporte tosses the majority of Illumina's claims, finding they were not novel over the prior art. That leaves three remaining infringement claims, and Complete Genomics CEO Clifford Reid said he's confident the company can continue to demonstrate its innocence.
Illumina plans to press on with this lawsuit and a second one, filed in June, over another sequencing patent. "We strongly disagree that any of the claims of our patent are invalid, and we intend to appeal the court's ruling," Illumina CEO Jay Flatley said in a statement. "We believe that this patent covers important and novel inventions that Complete Genomics has misappropriated."
Complete Genomics, once touted as an up-and-comer in the world of personalized medicine, struggled to match expectations, and, last month, China's BGI-Shenzhen bought the company for $117 million.
- read Complete Genomics' release
- here's Illumina's statement