NEW YORK – A judge in the US District Court for the Central District of California has denied Qiagen's motion to dismiss an antitrust lawsuit filed by Zymo Research.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Zymo said it expects its antitrust claims will be further vindicated through discovery and trial.
"We appreciate the court's decision, which allows Zymo to defend our innovations," said Marc Van Eden, VP of corporate development at the Irvine, California-based developer of sample preparation technologies.
In August, Qiagen filed a lawsuit alleging that Zymo's cfDNA MagicBead technology infringes on its patents covering magnetic bead-based cell-free and cell-depleted nucleic acid sample preparation.
Zymo filed a response and counterclaims in November denying the allegations and asserting, among other things, that the patents in question are unenforceable, that the lawsuit is frivolous, that Qiagen has engaged in anticompetitive conduct, and that Qiagen has intentionally interfered with its contractual relations.
The judge has now ordered the counterclaim of intentional interference dismissed but denied Qiagen's request that the other counterclaims be stayed until the resolution of the patent suit.
On Wednesday, Zymo said it remains confident in the novelty of its cfDNA MagicBead technology and looks forward to presenting its case while it also remains focused on delivering its technologies as the proceedings continue.
A spokesperson for Qiagen commented that the firm initiated the legal proceedings against Zymo to safeguard its intellectual property and investments and that it denies the antitrust claims.
"We strongly believe these allegations lack merit," the spokesperson said.
Qiagen said that while the court has allowed Zymo's antitrust counterclaim to proceed, the firm remains confident that it will ultimately be rejected.
"This ruling does not validate Zymo’s arguments but simply extends the legal process," the spokesperson said, adding, "We will address these unfounded allegations while remaining committed to protecting our innovations."