SAN CARLOS, Calif. and
SAN DIEGO, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Natera, Inc.
(NASDAQ: NTRA), a pioneer and global leader in cell-free DNA
testing, and Illumina Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN), a global leader in
next-generation sequencing platforms, today announced that they
have settled their patent infringement action ("Action") concerning
Illumina's U.S. Patent No. 9,493,831 ("'831 Patent") and Natera's
U.S. Patent No. 8,682,592 (the "'592 Patent"). Terms of the
settlement are included in the Form 8-K filed May 11, 2020 by Natera with the U.S. Securities
& Exchange Commission.
The settlement resolves and dismisses all of the claims in the
Action, including claims that relate to non-invasive prenatal
testing ("NIPT"), occurring before the settlement date. Natera
will receive a license to Illumina's intellectual property for use
in NIPT using the Illumina sequencing platform. Terms of the
settlement benefit both parties, and the supply agreement has been
extended until 2030.
Additionally, Natera has granted Illumina a non-exclusive
license to Natera's '592 Patent family. The license is limited to
Illumina's current technology used for massively parallel
sequencing in the fields of NIPT and PGS/PGD.
In a joint statement, Daniel
Rabinowitz, General Counsel for Natera and Charles Dadswell, General Counsel for
Illumina stated, "We believe that settling the case is in the best
interests of all parties and our respective customers, employees
and shareholders."
About Natera
Natera is a global leader in
cell-free DNA testing. The mission of the company is to change the
management of disease worldwide with a focus on reproductive
health, oncology, and organ transplantation. Natera operates an ISO
13485-certified and CAP-accredited laboratory certified under the
Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) in San Carlos, Calif. It offers proprietary
genetic testing services to inform obstetricians, transplant
physicians, oncologists, and cancer researchers, including
biopharmaceutical companies, and genetic laboratories through its
cloud-based software platform. For more information, visit
natera.com. Follow Natera on LinkedIn.
About Illumina
Illumina is improving human health by
unlocking the power of the genome. Our focus on innovation has
established us as the global leader in DNA sequencing and
array-based technologies, serving customers in the research,
clinical, and applied markets. Our products are used for
applications in the life sciences, oncology, reproductive health,
agriculture, and other emerging segments. To learn more, visit
www.illumina.com and follow @illumina.
Forward-Looking Statements
All statements other than
statements of historical facts contained in this press release are
forward-looking statements and are not a representation that
Natera's plans, estimates, or expectations will be achieved. These
forward-looking statements represent Natera's expectations as of
the date of this press release, and Natera disclaims any obligation
to update the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking
statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties
that may cause actual results to differ materially, including with
respect to developments in matters under dispute or litigation, the
scope of protection we establish and maintain for, and developments
or disputes concerning, our intellectual property or other
proprietary rights, our efforts to develop and commercialize new
product offerings, and our ability to successfully increase demand
for and grow revenues for our product offerings. Additional risks
and uncertainties are discussed in greater detail in "Risk Factors"
in Natera's recent filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q and in other
filings Natera makes with the SEC from time to time. These
documents are available at www.natera.com/investors and
www.sec.gov.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements
contained in this press release may be considered forward-looking
statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities
Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward-looking statements
involve risks and uncertainties, including our expectations and
beliefs regarding future conduct and growth of our business and the
markets in which we operate. Among the important factors that could
cause actual results to differ materially from those in any
forward-looking statements are: (i) the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic to our business; (ii) challenges inherent in developing,
and launching new products and services; (iii) the utility of such
products and services; and (iv) the speed and scale of their
adoption by customers, together with other factors detailed in our
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our
most recent filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, or in information
disclosed in public conference calls, the date and time of which
are released beforehand. We undertake no obligation, and do not
intend, to update these forward-looking statements, to review or
confirm analysts' expectations, or to provide interim reports or
updates on the progress of the current quarter.
Contacts
Natera Investor Relations: Mike Brophy, CFO, Natera, Inc., 650-249-9090
Natera Media: Paul Greenland, VP of
Corporate Marketing, Natera, Inc., pr@natera.com
Illumina IR: Jacquie Ross, CFA,
Vice President, Investor Relations, 858-882-2172
Illumina Media: Jen Carroll,
Director, Public Relations, 858-882-6822, pr@illumina.com
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SOURCE Natera, Inc.