• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

MassDevice

The Medical Device Business Journal — Medical Device News & Articles | MassDevice

  • Latest News
  • Technologies
    • Artificial Intelligence (AI)
    • Cardiovascular
    • Orthopedics
    • Neurological
    • Diabetes
    • Surgical Robotics
  • Business & Finance
    • Wall Street Beat
    • Earnings Reports
    • Funding Roundup
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Initial Public Offering (IPO)
    • Legal News
    • Personnel Moves
    • Medtech 100 Stock Index
  • Regulatory & Compliance
    • Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
    • Recalls
    • 510(k)
    • Pre-Market Approval (PMA)
    • MDSAP
    • Clinical Trials
  • Special Content
    • Special Reports
    • In-Depth Coverage
    • DeviceTalks
  • Podcasts
    • MassDevice Fast Five
    • DeviceTalks Weekly
    • OEM Talks
      • AbbottTalks
      • Boston ScientificTalks
      • DeviceTalks AI
      • IntuitiveTalks
      • MedtechWOMEN Talks
      • MedtronicTalks
      • Neuro Innovation Talks
      • Ortho Innovation Talks
      • Structural Heart Talks
      • StrykerTalks
  • Resources
    • About MassDevice
    • DeviceTalks
    • Newsletter Signup
    • Leadership in Medtech
    • Manufacturers & Suppliers Search
    • MedTech100 Index
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • Whitepapers
    • Voices
Home » Becton, Dickinson and Gen-Probe in new patent fight

Becton, Dickinson and Gen-Probe in new patent fight

November 28, 2009 By MassDevice staff

Gen-Probe Inc. wants to put Becton, Dickinson & Co. to the acid test. Specifically, probing how BD tests nucleic acid to spot viruses.

The San Diego-based diagnostics company recently filed suit accusing its New Jersey-based rival of undermining several of its patents and using them in the BD Viper system. The complaint seeks a jury trial and asks for unspecified monetary damages as well as injuctive relief.

Gen-Probe has built much of its diagnostics business on the ability of devices like its Tigris system to identify diseases based on genetic markings specific to different viruses. In particular, the company markets assays for sexually transmitted diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV-1, and hepatitis C as well as blood-borne maladies such as the West Nile virus. The suit would enforce five patents protecting several nucleic acid targets. It also is challenging a BD test system used to identify chlamydia and gonorrhea along with seeking to protect a patent it received for penetrable caps used on specimen collection tubes.

Becton, Dickinson officials have not yet formally responded to the suit and have until Dec. 9 to file their initial response after winning an extension last week from U.S. District Court Judge Roger Benitez.

Regardless of its outcome, the Oct. 19 case demonstrates the tension among device manufacturers as they spar for market share inside diagnostic test labs. For example, BD recently reported a 4.5-percent jump in revenues for its diagnostic segment during its 2009 fiscal year, citing solid sales for the Viper system for a portion of those gains.

Gen-Probe, meanwhile, has seen revenues in its blood-screening business slip in recent quarters, which it blames mostly on economic conditions. Tigris has received kudos for its ease of use and its ability to handle large number of samples, although the latter attribute may losing some of its luster as many labs appearing to be moving away from pooled testing of large numbers of donor samples to smaller pool sizes, company officials explained in a recent quarterly report.

Gen-Probe and Novartis paired several years ago to distribute blood screening products in Europe and the companies recently extended that pact through September 2025. The deal with Novartis now accounts for about 40 percent of Gen-Probe’s yearly revenues.

Filed Under: Business/Financial News, Diagnostics Tagged With: becton dickinson, Gen-Probe Inc.

More recent news

  • Comphya raises CHF 7.5 million for neurostim to treat ED
  • Fujifilm launches intelligent automation features for digital radiography
  • Integer appoints former iRhythm CEO to board
  • MMI debuts robotic surgery instruments, digital surgery platform
  • Synchrony Medical wins FDA nod for airway clearance system

Primary Sidebar

“md
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest med device regulatory, business and technology news.

DeviceTalks Weekly

See More >

MEDTECH 100 Stock INDEX

Medtech 100 logo
Market Summary > Current Price
The MedTech 100 is a financial index calculated using the BIG100 companies covered in Medical Design and Outsourcing.
MDO ad

Footer

MASSDEVICE MEDICAL NETWORK

DeviceTalks
Drug Delivery Business News
Medical Design & Outsourcing
Medical Tubing + Extrusion
Drug Discovery & Development
Pharmaceutical Processing World
MedTech 100 Index
R&D World
Medical Design Sourcing

DeviceTalks Webinars, Podcasts, & Discussions

Attend our Monthly Webinars
Listen to our Weekly Podcasts
Join our DeviceTalks Tuesdays Discussion

MASSDEVICE

Subscribe to MassDevice E-Newsletter
Advertise with us
About
Contact us

Copyright © 2025 · WTWH Media LLC and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media.

Privacy Policy