NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Sequenom said after the close of the market on Wednesday that it has filed a motion for a preliminary injunction against Aria Diagnostics.
Sequenom is seeking to stop Aria from making, using, selling, or offering for sale, importing, or exporting tests for detecting fetal chromosomal aneuploidy that Sequenom claims infringes on a patent it holds until pending litigation is resolved.
Sequenom filed a lawsuit against Aria in January in US District Court for the Southern District of California alleging Aria infringes on US Patent No. 6,258,540. In a statement Wednesday, Sequenom mentions Aria's Harmony Prenatal Test as an infringing test.
Sequenom launched its MaterniT21 test for the detection of a genetic chromosomal anomaly called Trisomy 21 in the fall.
In December Aria filed a lawsuit against Sequenom claiming it is overly aggressive in enforcing a broad patent related to the use of circulating cell-free DNA in maternal plasma to diagnosed fetal aneuploidies.
Sequenom and Natera also have sued each other over patent-related issues, and in an analyst note today, David Ferreiro of Oppenheimer said it would not be a surprise if Sequenom sought an injunction against that firm.