By Kirell Lakhman

Sequenom "deliberately doctored" data from its Down syndrome test, according to results from an "ongoing internal investigation" by Xenomics, the company that licensed to Sequenom technology that helped it develop the assay.

According to the investigation, which is being conducted by "Xenomics’ personnel," Sequenom "purposely misled the [Xenomics] — fraudulently inducing Xenomics into granting Sequenom an exclusive license to its transrenal technology," the company said today.

It added that Sequenom’s purported success in developing the test in late 2008 "was the principal factor in Xenomics’ decision to exclusively license its core Transrenal DNA and RNA technology in the area of fetal diagnostics to Sequenom."

Xenomics' investigation disclosure comes nearly two months after the company sued Sequenom for $300 million for this alleged fraud. It also says it aims to terminate the firms' license agreement for the Transrenal technology.

The following month, in November, Sequenom was sued by some of its shareholders for "mishandling" the data surrounding the test, called SEQureDx T21.

I wasn't able to reach Xenomics this morning, but to me its decision not to include the SEC or law enforcement in its investigation suggests the company wants merely to further distance itself from Sequenom.

Speaking of the SEC and other law-enforcement agencies, these groups are investigating Sequenom and its employees, and Xenomics today said that its personnel "have been advised to cooperate with all governmental agencies in the event that they are contacted."

Around two weeks before Xenomics sued Sequenom I spoke with Ian Clements, Sequenom’s spokesman, who told me Sequenom still plans to develop the T21 assay, though deadpanned that “timelines have obviously changed.”