Beckman Files Suit Against Sequenom
According to the court filing, Beckman Coulter’s GenomeLab SNPstream Genotyping System incorporates technology covered by US Patent Nos. 5,888,819 and 6,004,744. Beckman Coulter introduced the GenomeLab SNPstream, a single-base prime extension technique utilizing a tagged fluorescent array, in 2004.
San Diego, CA 6/5/08; Washington, DC 6/9/08—Beckman Coulter and Orchid Cellmark have filed a patent infringement suit against Sequenom in the US District Court of the Southern District of California. The suit alleges that Sequenom’s iPLEX products for SNP genotyping infringe three patents exclusively licensed to Beckman Coulter by Orchid Cellmark: US Patent No. 5,888,819 (Method for Determining Nucleotide Identity Through Primer Extension); US Patent No. 6,004,744 (Method for Determining Nucleotide Identity Extension of Immobilized Primer) and US Patent No. 6,537,748 (Reagent for Nucleic Acid Typing by Primer Extension). The suit seeks a permanent injunction against the sale of iPLEX products and monetary damages. In an SEC filing on June 9, Sequenom stated that the claims are without merit and that it will vigorously defend itself.
