BioGenex settles patent case with Ventana

BioGenex Laboratories announced a settlement of patent litigation with Ventana Medical Systems (VMSI), ending the dispute between the two companies.

As part of the settlement, the parties agreed to cross license several of their patents. BioGenex is licensed to utilize Ventana patented methods of bar-coding slides and reagents to control automated processing of samples, and Ventana is licensed to use BioGenex's patented methods for antigen retrieval and de-paraffinization for preparation of samples. The companies further agreed to cooperate in the defense of the cross licensed patents and pursue third parties who infringe on them.

As a consequence of the settlement, several cases are being dismissed including those in US Courts of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the US District Court for the District of Arizona, and the US District Court for the Northern District of California San Jose Division. The patents subject to the cross license agreement include BioGenex US Patent 5,244,787, US Patent 5,578,452, US Patent 6,451,551 and US Patent 6,632,598 and Ventana patent number 6,352,861.

Krishan Kalra, Chairman and CEO of BioGenex commenting on the settlement said, "We are pleased to resolve the patent disputes with Ventana. This agreement also emphasizes the value of BioGenex patents on methods for preparation of tissue samples for laboratory tests and this cross license with Ventana will help us both ensure that our respective patents are widely used by the industry under license agreements."

BioGenex is a technology leader in molecular pathology, and provides total solutions for complete automation of cell and tissue testing, it has also been engaged in offering a broad range of reagents and systems to streamline and standardize cellular and molecular diagnostics. The design of BioGenex's products are for high throughput at a low cost of ownership, providing ease of use and maximum flexibility for clinical diagnostics, life science research, and drug discovery.