Metabolon and Stemina Biomarker Discovery have settled a patent dispute over Metabolon’s proprietary technology.
The RTP-based diagnostic technology firm said Wednesday that it had struck a licensing deal with Stemina Biomarker Discovery a year after it filed suit.
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
“We are happy to have reached an agreement with Metabolon and to have settled our differences in a way that allows both companies to move forward,” said Stemina Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Donley.
Stemina is developing blood tests for autism.
“We are pleased to reach an agreement that brings our pending litigation to an end and further underscores the significant value of Metabolon’s technological innovations and Intellectual Property,” said Metabolon CEO John Ryals. “Our focus continues to be the needs of our collaborators and the advancement of the metabolomics science for biomarker discovery, to uncover solutions in medical and nutritional research and the life sciences.”
Stemina was accused of infringing patents 7,550,258 and 7,910,301. The patents, which Metabolon owns jointly with the Cornell Research Foundation Inc., cover methods of drug discovery, disease treatment and diagnosis using the study of the chemical processes of metabolites.
According to the complaint, Stemina offered services based on identifying metabolites and biomarkers of biological processes that infringe both patents. They included services that use brain tumor stem cells, human embryonic stem cells, and human and animal tissue and fluid, according to court papers.
Metabolon intially claimed it offered Stemina a license with “reasonable financial terms.” After almost five months of negotiations, Stemina refused to take a license, Metabolon said in its suit,.
Metabolon has been awarded multiple patents.
Metabolon’s technology is based on metabolomics, the analysis of biochemicals such as sugars, nucleotides, fatty acids, amino acids and other small molecules. The biochemicals are analyzed in patient samples before being compared to other profiles.
Metabolon believes the data can be used for development of diagnostic tests as well as drug development and in monitoring for clinical trials.
