QIAGEN Files Lawsuit Against bioMérieux to Protect QuantiFERON Technology
QIAGEN has taken legal action to protect its intellectual property (IP) by filing a lawsuit against bioMérieux S.A. for patent infringement. The lawsuit, lodged in the Local Division of the Court of First Instance of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) in Düsseldorf, Germany, aims to defend the critical innovations behind QIAGEN’s proprietary QuantiFERON technology, which plays a key role in the global fight against tuberculosis (TB).
Protecting QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus Innovations
The complaint centers around European Patent EP 2 276 883 B2, one of several patents QIAGEN holds that protects the core components of QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus. This technology is widely used to detect latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and is regarded as a more accurate and reliable method compared to traditional skin tests. QIAGEN’s patent portfolio ensures that these key innovations remain safeguarded, preserving the integrity of the technology and its global impact.
Thierry Bernard, CEO of QIAGEN, emphasized the importance of intellectual property protection, stating, “Protecting our intellectual property is essential to ensuring continued innovation in infectious disease diagnostics. QuantiFERON has transformed latent tuberculosis testing, and we will always take the necessary legal steps to defend our proprietary technologies against infringement.” This legal action reflects QIAGEN’s ongoing commitment to innovation and the protection of its groundbreaking technologies.
Strengthening QIAGEN’s Commitment to Innovation
This lawsuit is not the first time QIAGEN has defended its QuantiFERON-related patents. Recently, the company successfully defended a QuantiFERON patent against an invalidity challenge from SD Biosensor in Germany, demonstrating the strength and resilience of QIAGEN’s intellectual property portfolio. These legal actions reaffirm the company’s dedication to maintaining its leadership position in the molecular diagnostics field and ensuring that its research and innovations remain protected.
As a global leader in molecular diagnostics, QIAGEN continuously strives to secure its intellectual property to protect investments in innovation. The company’s comprehensive patent portfolio ensures that customers worldwide can rely on high-quality testing solutions, while allowing QIAGEN to continue developing next-generation diagnostics and innovations.
QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus: A Key Tool in TB Control
QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) is widely recommended by leading health organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as a reliable tool for identifying individuals at risk of developing active TB. Unlike the traditional skin test, QFT-Plus delivers more objective, accurate, and reproducible results, making it a crucial part of global TB control efforts.
Latent TB infection occurs when the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria remain dormant in the body without causing symptoms. Although not contagious, latent TB can progress to active TB if left untreated, representing a significant public health threat. Effective screening and treatment of latent TB are essential for controlling the spread of tuberculosis, which continues to be one of the deadliest infectious diseases worldwide.
The Role of QuantiFERON in Global TB Control
Latent TB remains a significant challenge in global health. It is estimated that around one-quarter of the world’s population is infected with latent TB, though only a small percentage will go on to develop active TB. The progression from latent to active TB is a major concern as it can lead to widespread transmission, especially in areas with high TB prevalence. By accurately identifying individuals with latent TB, QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus helps prevent the development of active TB, thus reducing the burden of the disease globally.
The World Health Organization has highlighted the importance of accurate TB testing as part of its strategy to reduce global TB incidence and mortality. QIAGEN’s QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus has become a cornerstone in the effort to control TB worldwide, offering healthcare providers an effective, non-invasive alternative to the traditional skin test. With reliable results and the ability to detect latent TB early, QFT-Plus plays a key role in preventing the spread of tuberculosis and improving patient outcomes.
Addressing the Growing Threat of Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis remains one of the most prevalent infectious diseases worldwide, causing millions of deaths each year. Despite significant progress in TB control, the disease continues to be a major public health threat, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Effective detection and treatment of latent TB are essential for halting the spread of the disease and preventing the emergence of drug-resistant strains.
In recent years, the global medical community has placed a greater emphasis on tackling latent TB as part of the broader effort to eliminate TB by 2030. Early identification of latent TB is vital to prevent the development of active TB, which is more contagious and harder to treat. As part of the global TB strategy, QIAGEN’s QuantiFERON technology plays a crucial role in identifying those at risk, allowing for timely intervention and treatment to prevent progression to active TB.
QIAGEN’s Ongoing Legal Efforts to Protect Innovation
The lawsuit against bioMérieux underscores QIAGEN’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding the intellectual property that supports its innovative technologies. With a robust patent portfolio protecting QuantiFERON and other diagnostic solutions, QIAGEN is ensuring that its advancements in infectious disease diagnostics remain secure. The company’s legal actions also send a strong message about the importance of protecting scientific progress and ensuring that companies can continue to innovate without fear of infringement.
The outcome of the lawsuit will have significant implications not only for QIAGEN’s business but also for the broader field of diagnostics. By defending its intellectual property, QIAGEN is contributing to a healthy competitive environment that encourages continued innovation and improves patient outcomes worldwide.
Conclusion
QIAGEN’s legal action against bioMérieux highlights the importance of protecting intellectual property in the competitive and fast-evolving field of molecular diagnostics. As the developer of QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus, a key tool in the global fight against tuberculosis, QIAGEN continues to ensure that its scientific innovations remain secure and that healthcare providers around the world have access to high-quality, reliable diagnostic tools. The company’s commitment to defending its intellectual property demonstrates its ongoing dedication to advancing public health and combating infectious diseases worldwide.
For more information about QuantiFERON technology and QIAGEN’s commitment to TB diagnostics, visit https://www.qiagen.com/us/applications/tb-management.
About QIAGEN
QIAGEN N.V., a Netherlands-based holding company, is the leading global provider of Sample to Insight solutions, enabling customers to extract and gain valuable molecular insights from samples containing the building blocks of life. Our Sample technologies isolate and process DNA, RNA and proteins from blood, tissue and other materials. Assay technologies prepare these biomolecules for analysis while bioinformatics software and knowledge bases can be used to interpret data to find actionable insights. Automation solutions bring these processes together into seamless and cost-effective workflows. QIAGEN serves over 500,000 customers globally in Life Sciences (academia, pharma R&D and industrial applications, primarily forensics) and Molecular Diagnostics for clinical healthcare. As of December 31, 2024, QIAGEN employed more than 5,700 people in over 35 locations worldwide. For more information, visit www.qiagen.\
