NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Illumina has filed a lawsuit this week against Complete Genomics, alleging infringement of three sequencing-related patents held by Illumina.
The suit was filed in the US District Court for the District of Delaware and claims that Complete Genomics' sequencing platform and services infringe US Patent Nos. 6,306,597; 7,232,656; and 7,598,035. The patents cover DNA sequencing by parallel oligonucleotide extensions, the use of arrayed biomolecules in sequencing, and methods and compositions for ordering restriction fragments.
Illumina claims that Completes Genomics' combinatorial probe anchor ligation technology, in particular, is infringing the '597 and ''035 patents.
Illumina has asked the court to declare that the three patents are valid and enforceable, to enjoin Complete Genomics from continuing to infringe the patents either directly or indirectly, and for Complete Genomics to deliver to Illumina its products and materials that infringe the patents for destruction. In addition, it has asked for damages and for reimbursement of attorneys' fees and costs associated with the suit.
Earlier this week, Complete Genomics filed for an initial public offering in the US. The firm hopes to raise as much as $86.3 million to support further development and commercialization of its technology, sales and marketing activities, capital expenditures to expand its facilities and operations.
The firm is unique in the DNA sequencing space in that it is focused purely on providing human sequencing services. It won't sell any instruments, and it won't sequence any other kinds of organisms.
As of July 20, Complete Genomics had sequenced more than 200 complete human genomes since the beginning of the year, it said in its preliminary prospectus for the offering. The firm also believes it will be the first to offer complete sequencing of the human genome for less than $1,000.