MPRO Sacrifices Disputed Product

MicroProbe Corp. withdrew its Affirm VP line of DNA probe-based products from the market to avoid the costs of litigating a patent dispute with Gen-Probe Inc., but said it believes it can find other diagnostics companies willing to market the product.

Gen-Probe, a wholly owned subsidiary of Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., sued MPRO last May, alleging that MPRO was infringing U.S. Patent No. 4,851,330. The patent covers the detection, identification and quantification of non-viral organisms through the targeting of ribosomal RNA sequences. MPRO has said it believes the patent is invalid because of prior art. MPRO said that Gen-Probe and Chugai have been unwilling to discuss a settlement, despite the fact that Affirm doesn't compete with any of Gen-Probe's products...