TwinStrand Biosciences Announces Filing of Patent Infringement Lawsuit Against Guardant Health

Recently TwinStrand Biosciences, Inc. announced that it filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Guardant Health, Inc. (Nasdaq: GH). TwinStrand and its exclusive licensor, the University of Washington, filed the lawsuit in the United States District Court in Delaware. A copy of the complaint is available in the News section of TwinStrand’s website.

The complaint alleges that Guardant Health infringes multiple patents covering TwinStrand’s proprietary Duplex Sequencing methods for generating highly accurate DNA sequence data. The methods described and claimed in TwinStrand’s patents enable clinically-actionable sequence data to be generated by analyzing fragments of DNA in blood samples or other tissues. The technology was invented by TwinStrand’s CEO, Jesse Salk, M.D., Ph.D., and his colleagues at the University of Washington, and is exclusively licensed to TwinStrand.

TwinStrand is seeking remedies including a permanent injunction against Guardant Health’s use and sale of Guardant’s infringing products and services, as well as compensatory and enhanced damages for past infringement.

“TwinStrand has a powerful and growing portfolio of issued patents in the United States and worldwide designed to protect its groundbreaking Duplex Sequencing process which allows highly accurate DNA sequencing. We intend to pursue this litigation vigorously and to protect our intellectual property rights in the United States and globally,” said TwinStrand’s General Counsel, Karen Dabbs.

In 2020, TwinStrand launched its first commercial DuplexSeq™ kit, which uses TwinStrand’s patented DNA Duplex Sequencing error correction approach to obtain unparalleled sensitivity and specificity. “TwinStrand is committed to bringing its technology to patients, clinicians, and researchers through its own products, licensing, and other partnerships, but it will not allow the continued infringement of its patents,” said Dabbs. “TwinStrand is also considering its legal options against other parties who directly infringe, or induce others to infringe, its patented technology,” Dabbs added.