Oxford Nanopore files US subpoena application

Nanopore sequencing products company Oxford Nanopore Technologies has filed an application in the US District Court for the Northern District of California for leave to serve subpoenas in support of a lawsuit it intends to file in the courts of England and Wales.

Oxford Nanopore said it filed an ex parte application that would allow it to serve Complete Genomics, Innomics, MGI Americas and others for breach of contractual obligations, claims for breach of common law obligations of confidence, breach of duties under the Trade Secrets Regulations 2018, and an entitlement claim to a license of certain patents. 

Additionally, while not commenting on future litigation, Oxford Nanopore added that it does not believe BGI Tech Solutions' nanopore-based sequencing technology would be able to be used in commercial products around the world without infringing or misappropriating its own "substantial portfolio of proprietary rights".

As of 1005 BST, Oxford Nanopore shares were untraded at 144.10p.

Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com