Bio-Rad’s Patent Threats Draw Suit to Clear Cancer-Research Test

Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc. was hit with a lawsuit alleging its threats of patent-infringement litigation over ChromaCode Inc.'s high-definition genetic test used in cancer research is “a sword of Damocles over” the small biotech company.

ChromaCode—a privately held molecular diagnostics firm focused on bioinformatics—said Bio-Rad sent it a letter Sept. 6 alleging ChromaCode’s high-definition polymerase chain reaction, or HDPCR, assays infringe two patents, according to a complaint filed Wednesday in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.

ChromaCode seeks a judgment that its HDPCR assays don’t infringe US Patent Nos. 9,222,128 and 9,921,154, both of which cover ...