QIAGEN Takes Legal Action to Protect IP in QuantiFERON and Latent TB Testing
QIAGEN NV (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) has filed a lawsuit against bioMérieux SA (EPA: BIM) for patent infringement, emphasizing its dedication to safeguarding the scientific advancements of its QuantiFERON technology.
QIAGEN NV (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) has taken legal action against bioMérieux SA (EPA: BIM), filing a lawsuit for patent infringement in the Local Division of the Court of First Instance of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) in Düsseldorf. The lawsuit pertains to European patent EP 2 276 883 B2, one of several patents protecting QIAGEN’s proprietary QuantiFERON technology. This particular patent covers key innovations in QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus, a diagnostic tool widely used for the detection of tuberculosis (TB) around the globe.
“Protecting our intellectual property is essential for ensuring continued progress in the field of infectious disease diagnostics,” said Thierry Bernard, CEO of QIAGEN. “QuantiFERON has transformed the landscape of latent tuberculosis testing, and we will take all necessary legal actions to safeguard our proprietary technologies from infringement.”
This legal move is part of QIAGEN’s broader strategy to defend its intellectual property, following the company’s recent success in a separate case in Germany. In that instance, QIAGEN successfully defended a QuantiFERON-related patent against an invalidity challenge filed by SD Biosensor. These victories reinforce the strength and robustness of QIAGEN’s expansive patent portfolio and its commitment to protecting the innovative technologies it has developed.
As a global leader in molecular diagnostics, QIAGEN underscores its unwavering commitment to defending its intellectual property to secure its investments in innovation. This protection ensures that customers worldwide continue to have access to high-quality, reliable testing solutions.
QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) is a key tool recommended by prominent health organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for identifying individuals at risk of active tuberculosis. Unlike traditional skin tests, QFT-Plus delivers more reliable and objective results, supporting global efforts to combat tuberculosis (TB), a major public health challenge.
Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) occurs when the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis remains dormant in the body without causing symptoms. Though latent TB is not contagious, it can eventually progress to active TB, a serious and potentially fatal condition that continues to pose significant health risks around the world. Early and accurate detection of latent tuberculosis is essential in preventing its progression and halting the spread of TB globally.
QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus provides a modern, scientifically advanced approach to diagnosing latent tuberculosis infection. It is a blood-based test that offers several advantages over traditional methods, such as the tuberculin skin test (TST), which can sometimes yield inaccurate or inconsistent results. The QuantiFERON test provides more reliable and objective outcomes, making it an essential tool in the global fight against tuberculosis.
For over two decades, QuantiFERON has been a vital tool in TB diagnosis. The technology is particularly valuable because it enables the identification of individuals with latent TB infection, many of whom may not yet show any signs or symptoms of the disease. If left undiagnosed and untreated, latent TB can lead to the development of active TB, a contagious and serious condition that is a major cause of illness and death worldwide. Effective testing and treatment of latent tuberculosis are therefore key to reducing the global burden of TB.
QIAGEN’s legal action emphasizes the importance of its QuantiFERON technology in providing reliable diagnostics for tuberculosis. The company’s dedication to protecting its intellectual property serves not only to preserve the value of its innovations but also to ensure that patients and healthcare providers can continue to benefit from the advancements that QuantiFERON represents. By defending its patents, QIAGEN is helping to secure its place as a leader in the field of molecular diagnostics, ensuring that investments in groundbreaking technologies are protected for the long term.
Through these efforts, QIAGEN is committed to continuing its leadership in the fight against infectious diseases. With its extensive portfolio of diagnostic solutions, QIAGEN aims to provide healthcare professionals with the tools they need to improve patient care and manage global health threats, including tuberculosis.
About QIAGEN
QIAGEN NV is the world’s leading provider of comprehensive solutions for gaining molecular insights from biological samples. The company’s sample technologies enable the extraction and processing of DNA, RNA, and proteins from various biological sources such as blood and tissue. QIAGEN’s test technologies prepare these biomolecules for analysis, while bioinformatics tools help interpret the data to generate actionable insights. The company’s automation solutions integrate these processes into efficient and cost-effective molecular testing workflows.
Serving over 500,000 customers worldwide, QIAGEN supports applications in life sciences research, pharmaceutical R&D, industrial applications like forensics, and clinical diagnostics. As of September 30, 2024, QIAGEN employs more than 5,800 people across over 35 global locations.
