INITIAL INFRINGEMENT JUDGMENT FAVORS INNOGENETICS

A district court Aug. 28 ruled in favor of Innogenetics NV, an international biopharmaceutical firm that is building a diagnostics business, in a patent dispute with Abbott Laboratories, Innogenetics said Aug. 29.

The case went before the District Court of the Western District of Wisconsin. Innogenetics, based in Gent, Belgium, has asserted that Abbott infringed on its patent for HCV genotyping. Abbott has asserted that the Innogenetics U.S. patent is invalid, Innogenetics said.

Following a hearing, the court determined that Abbott's HCV genotyping products "literally infringe at least claims 13 of Innogenetics' HCV genotyping patent," the firm said.