Helicos BioSciences Corporation (OTCQB: HLCS.PK) announced today that it
has settled its patent infringement litigation against Pacific
Biosciences, Inc. The settlement gives Pacific Biosciences
freedom-to-operate from Helicos's patents within a limited field of use
covering Pacific Biosciences' current products only. In addition to
paying an undisclosed financial settlement, Pacific Biosciences agreed
to refrain from challenging the validity, enforceability, or
patentability of any of Helicos's patents, which includes halting its
efforts in the inter partes reexamination of the patents in suit
with the USPTO.
"After carefully evaluating sales trends in the next generation
sequencing marketplace over the last several quarters, including the
trend in Pacific Biosciences's sales, and balancing potential future
recovery versus litigation cost, we have concluded that the best course
of action for Helicos is to settle with Pacific Biosciences" stated Dr.
Ivan Trifunovich, President and CEO of Helicos. "The settlement and the
associated non-exclusive and non-sublicensable license are narrowly
focused on Pacific Biosciences's own technology. Our aim is to focus on
the market leader Illumina as well as on Life Technologies, and we plan
on continuing to pursue vigorously the patent infringement cases against
them."