This article has been updated with a comment from PDI.
NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Prolias Technologies today said it has filed a lawsuit against PDI alleging breach of contract, breach of covenant of good faith and fair dealing, intentional interference with contract, and breach of fiduciary duty.
Prolias, a New York-based molecular diagnostics firm, filed its lawsuit in Superior Court of New Jersey for the County of Morris.
Prolias accused PDI of breaching a joint venture agreement reached by the firms to validate, commercialize, and monetize Prolias' Thymira, a microRNA-based thyroid cancer test. Prolias said that PDI breached its obligations under the agreement, and among other things, it failed to effectively and timely validate Thymira; acquired a competitor and developed its own test in lieu of Thymira; and interfered with a license agreement between Prolias and Cornell University.
Additionally, Prolias said that upon information and belief, PDI attempted to purchase the license agreement from Cornell directly and to the exclusion of Prolias.
Prolias further said that PDI "practically usurped" the Thymira name from Prolias and named its competing product Thyramir.
In a statement sent to GenomeWeb, PDI said,"We deny liability, intend to defend vigorously, and will present our case in the courts not the press."