Bio-Techne Corporation (NASDAQ: TECH), a renowned global life sciences company specializing in innovative tools and bioactive reagents for both research and clinical diagnostics, has officially initiated legal proceedings in the Unified Patent Court of Europe. The aim is to address the infringement of its patented RNAscope® ISH technology by Molecular Instruments, Inc.
Under its Advanced Cell Diagnostics (ACD) brand, Bio-Techne holds patents encompassing various aspects of its RNAscope technology. Renowned as a pioneer in spatial biology, Bio-Techne boasts a vast portfolio comprising over 50,000 unique RNAscope in situ hybridization (ISH) probes across more than 400 species. This offering provides biopharma and academic clients with top-tier single-molecule sensitivity and unparalleled specificity at subcellular resolution. Notably, RNAscope stands as the most referenced technology within the industry, with its extensive list of peer-reviewed publications recently surpassing 10,000.
The lawsuit, filed in the Unified Patent Court, specifically targets Molecular Instruments’ HCR 3.0 technology, alleging infringement of ACD’s European Patents 1,910,572 and 2,500,439. Bio-Techne’s legal action seeks damages and injunctive relief, compelling Molecular Instruments to cease the infringement of ACD’s patents across key European markets.
Kim Kelderman, President and CEO of Bio-Techne, emphasized the company’s significant investments in establishing itself as a global leader in the rapidly expanding spatial biology industry. These investments include the development and deployment of RNAscope technology, along with the strategic acquisition of Lunaphore, which introduced the fully automated, high-throughput COMET platform to Bio-Techne’s portfolio. Kelderman reaffirmed Bio-Techne’s commitment to vigilantly monitoring the spatial biology industry and all relevant sectors for potential violations of intellectual property rights. The company remains steadfast in its determination to vigorously defend its position against any alleged infringers.
