Dako takes legal action over patent infringement

Dako has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against US company Leica Microsystems.

The Danish-based cancer diagnostics firm claims the rival organisation has violated its intellectual property rights by using its technology to create the BondMax and Bond III immunohistostainers.

In a statement, Dako said the technology applied by Leica is protected by two patents, which have previously been licensed to Ventana Medical Systems.

The patents cover the individual slide heating technology used in Artisan, Dako's special staining product.

"Dako is a company that to a large extent bases its development and success on proprietary innovations," commented chief executive Lars Holmkvist.

"We take great care to protect these innovations by patenting our technology," he added.

Last month, Dako's reagent partnership division received an award from Fisher HealthCare for being the supplier with the largest year-on-year growth.

It beat out competition from hundreds of other companies by delivering growth of 18 per cent for the healthcare firm.