10x Genomics sues rival Curio over gene-sequencing technology

Dec 4 (Reuters) - Biotech company 10x Genomics (TXG.O) has sued competitor Curio Bioscience in Delaware federal court over allegations that Curio infringed its patents related to genetic analysis, adding to a web of patent disputes over genomics technology.

10x said in a complaint made public on Monday that Curio's Seeker Kits violate its rights in technology for using barcode sequences to track and analyze genes from tissue samples.

Representatives for Curio did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit.

"For more than a year, we've tried to address our intellectual property concerns directly with Curio, without so much as a response," 10x's chief legal officer Eric Whitaker said on Monday.

Curio launched its Seeker Kits, its first gene-sequencing products, in February. The company said in a press release that the kits, which allow researchers to map RNA molecules in tissue samples, would unlock "new avenues for basic scientific discovery."

10x's lawsuit said that Palo Alto, California-based Curio's kits infringe patents related to its Visium platform, which uses similar "spatial transcriptomics" technology to map genes within tissue samples.

"For instance, in the context of cancer tumors, understanding the arrangement of cells within the tumor allows researchers to interrogate how various cellular structures contribute to tumor development, progression, and metastasis," 10x said.

10x said that it licenses the patents from San Diego-based Prognosys Biosciences, which is also a plaintiff in the case. They asked the court for an unspecified amount of monetary damages and court orders blocking Curio's alleged infringement.

Pleasanton, California-based 10x and Prognosys won a $31 million jury verdict against competitor NanoString Technologies (NSTG.O) last month for infringing related patents.

The case is 10x Genomics Inc v. Curio Bioscience Inc, U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, No. 1:23-cv-01375.