KeyGene announced today that its United States patent (US 8,815,512) protecting Sequence-Based Genotyping (SBG) technology was upheld by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, following ex parte reexamination initiated in March 2015 by Cornell University.
The patent is part of KeyGene’s global dominant patent portfolio protecting methods for simultaneous polymorphism discovery and genotyping, including SBG, GBS, RAD, ddRAD and related methods. All of these methods are widely used to score thousands of DNA markers in plants, animals and model organisms in a highly cost-efficient manner, and thereby contribute to meeting the challenges of sustainable agriculture and food supply. KeyGene is committed to offer its clients these proprietary methods via contract research and services and provides licenses and accompanying training for commercial and research purposes, the company says.
“We are very satisfied with this confirmation of the validity of the ‘512 patent by the USPTO”, stated Michiel van Eijk, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of KeyGene. “This reexamination affirmed all seventeen disputed claims, which further strengthens our SBG patent portfolio and endorses that KeyGene is the inventor of Sequence-Based Genotyping.”
Dr. Arjen J van Tunen, CEO KeyGene added: “I am very pleased that the reexamination, although relevant to only one of the five SBG patents granted in the USA, has been concluded in a very favourable way for KeyGene. KeyGene will continue to license SBG to commercial and academic organizations as recently published with respect to Bayer Crop Sciences, LGC and University of Minnesota and at the same time actively defends and enforces its SBG IPR position.”
