Promega Sues Aobious for Patent Infringement Over Furimazine Substrates
Promega Corporation, a global leader in biotechnology tools, announced that it has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Aobious, Inc. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, aims to protect it’s intellectual property rights surrounding the luciferase substrate, furimazine, and its variants. These compounds play a pivotal role in it’s technology, and the company holds multiple active U.S. patents safeguarding the structure and usage of furimazine and its derivatives.
The Importance of Furimazine and NanoLuc® Technology
Furimazine is a critical component of NanoLuc®, a cutting-edge luciferase enzyme that it introduced in 2012. This enzyme generates an extraordinarily bright bioluminescent signal when combined with its substrate, furimazine. It has become an essential tool in various research applications, including studying protein expression, localization, interactions, and degradation. it’s technologies, such as NanoBiT®, NanoBRET®, and Lumit®, are widely used in drug discovery, disease research, and biomedical studies due to their sensitivity and precision.
NanoLuc® technology, powered by furimazine, has revolutionized the field of bioluminescence and continues to drive advances in both basic and applied scientific research. The unique chemical structure of furimazine, along with its derivatives hydrofurimazine and fluorofurimazine, is protected under a portfolio of active U.S. patents. This protection covers the key elements of it’s intellectual property, which has been a result of years of research and development by Promega’s scientists.
Legal Action Against Aobious, Inc.
The lawsuit against Aobious, Inc. is focused on the unauthorized use and sale of furimazine and its variants, which Promega claims infringe upon its intellectual property. Promega seeks to stop the unauthorized distribution of these substrates by Aobious, as well as seek appropriate damages for the alleged infringement. The lawsuit underscores Promega’s dedication to protecting its proprietary technology and ensuring that it retains control over the distribution and use of its patented luciferase substrates.
Poncho Meisenheimer, Vice President of Research and Development at Promega, emphasized the significance of furimazine in advancing scientific research, stating, “Furimazine substrates represent years of dedicated effort by Promega scientists to develop groundbreaking tools that help scientists drive progress in their fields. We intend to protect our accomplishments and defend the high-quality products that utilize these unique molecules.”
A Strong Commitment to Intellectual Property
Promega has long been at the forefront of bioluminescence-based tools for research. Since the early 1990s, the company has been innovating in this field, leading to the creation of NanoLuc® luciferase and its associated substrates, including furimazine. The company’s commitment to protecting its intellectual property is evident in the numerous patents it holds not only in the United States but also in 28 other countries worldwide. Promega’s strategic focus on maintaining exclusive rights to its innovative technologies allows it to continue developing and expanding its product offerings while supporting the research community.
The lawsuit serves as a critical reminder of Promega’s efforts to safeguard its inventions and ensures that its products remain protected from infringement, which could undermine the company’s extensive research and development efforts. The legal action also signals the company’s strong stance on intellectual property rights in the competitive biotechnology and life sciences industries.
The Value of Promega’s Patented Substrates
Furimazine and its derivatives are at the core of several cutting-edge technologies that rely on bioluminescence for accurate and reliable results. The substrates enable powerful applications in drug discovery, particularly for high-throughput screening, as well as in live-cell imaging, protein-protein interaction studies, and other biomedical research fields. By offering an extraordinarily bright signal that’s both sensitive and stable, NanoLuc® technology powered by furimazine substrates is ideal for a wide range of research needs.
With Promega’s intellectual property protection, the company ensures that researchers using NanoLuc® technology continue to benefit from high-quality, reliable tools for advancing scientific discoveries. The patented substrates are an essential component in Promega’s comprehensive product portfolio, and any unauthorized use of these materials can pose risks to both the company and its customers.
Looking Ahead: Promega’s Innovation and Future Plans
Promega continues to innovate in the field of bioluminescence and will likely develop additional advancements in luciferase-based technologies in the future. The company’s continued focus on research and development aims to create new solutions that meet the evolving needs of the scientific community. Promega’s dedication to intellectual property protection ensures that its innovations will remain a valuable asset to researchers globally, empowering the next generation of discoveries.
By pursuing legal action against Aobious, Promega is not only protecting its intellectual property but also reinforcing its position as a leading player in the biotechnological field. The company’s commitment to defending its innovations will help preserve the integrity and quality of the tools that are integral to advancing scientific research and discovery worldwide.
As Promega moves forward, it will continue to focus on developing high-quality products that enhance the capabilities of researchers, while also maintaining strong protections for its proprietary technologies. This case serves as a reminder that intellectual property plays a crucial role in driving innovation and maintaining the value of groundbreaking scientific advancements.
Learn more about NanoLuc® luciferase and technologies utilizing NanoLuc here.
About Promega Corporation
Promega Corporation is a leader in providing innovative solutions and technical support to the life sciences industry. The company’s portfolio of over 4,000 products supports a range of life science work across areas such as cell biology; DNA, RNA and protein analysis; drug development; human identification and molecular diagnostics. These tools and technologies have grown in their application over the last 45 years and are used today by scientists and technicians in labs for academic and government research, forensics, pharmaceuticals, clinical diagnostics and veterinary, agricultural and environmental testing. Promega is headquartered in Madison, WI, USA with branches in 16 countries and over 50 global distributors. Learn more at promega.com.
