NanoString Sues 10x Genomics, Escalating Gene-analysis Patent Fight

Biotech company NanoString Technologies Inc sued rival 10x Genomics Inc for patent infringement in Delaware federal court on Thursday, adding fuel to the companies' dispute over "spatial profiling" technology for genetic analysis.

NanoString accused 10x's Visium Spatial system for tissue analysis of infringing one of its patents. The complaint follows two ongoing lawsuits 10x filed in the same court that allege NanoString's GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler violates its patent rights.

Representatives for the companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Seattle-based NanoString received the patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday. The company said its patented technology allows researchers to "look at many biological targets" in a tissue sample, like proteins and RNA, "at many locations in the same sample at the same time."

NanoString said Pleasanton, California-based 10x's system infringes the patent by enabling similar profiling of proteins and RNA within a tissue sample.

NanoString asked the court for an unspecified amount of money damages and an order to block 10x from infringing the patent.

10x sued startup Parse Biosciences in August for allegedly copying its patented gene-analysis technology. It also settled a multi-front patent fight with rival Bio-Rad Laboratories last year.

The case is NanoString Technologies Inc v. 10x Genomics Inc, U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, No. 1:22-cv-01375.