November 21, 2017 | Illumina announced today that the High Court of Justice, Chancery Division, Patents Court in the United Kingdom issued a judgment in its favor in the patent infringement suit filed against Premaitha Health plc, et al. and the patent infringement suit filed against Ariosa Diagnostics, Inc., et al.
Premaitha's non-invasive prenatal test was found to infringe on several Illumina patents and both Premaitha's and Ariosa's tests infringed on a gender testing patent.
The Court found that Premaitha's IONA test infringed EP 1 981 995, EP 2 385 143, EP 2 183 693 and EP 2 514 842, which are generally directed to the use of sequencing in non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT). The Court also found that the gender testing component in Premaitha's IONA test and Ariosa's Harmony test infringe EP 0 994 963. These patents are licensed by Illumina or its wholly owned subsidiary Verinata Health, Inc. "We are pleased that the Court ruled in our favor," said Charles Dadswell, Senior Vice President and General Counsel at Illumina in a statement. "The Court's judgment validates the investments Illumina has made, the value of this technology and the significant contributions of the inventors in this field."
Illumina intends to seek all available remedies for the infringement, including damages, injunctive relief, and attorney fees.