Bio-Rad and Ciphergen in patent reissue payment

Bio-Rad is to pay Ciphergen for the reissuance of a patent for the firm’s surface-enhanced laser desorption ionisation (Seldi) mass spectrometry technology, it has emerged.

Under a previous asset purchase agreement formed between the two companies in November 2006, Bio-Rad must now pay two million dollars (984,000 pounds) to Ciphergen.

Gail Page, president and chief executive officer of Ciphergen, expressed the firm’s delight at the patent being reissued.

"We are pleased that the US Patent and Trademark Office has decided to reissue this patent as we believe it further validates the innovation underlying Seldi technology," the spokesperson said.

Bio-Rad purchased the worldwide technology rights for the Seldi line in November for 20 million dollars, the company revealed.

The deal included access to Ciphergen’s life science customer base, while the firm retained the rights to utilise the technology across the diagnostic market, with Bio-Rad becoming a key supplier of instruments and reagents to allow this to happen.