Statement from BICO regarding counterclaims in patent lawsuit by Organovo against group company CELLINK

Due to recently filed counterclaims in patent lawsuit by Organovo, Inc., (“Organovo”) to the Federal Court in Delaware, BICO Group AB (“BICO”) releases the following statement to explain the background and context.

BICO, CELLINK and all our group companies respect valid intellectual property and believe that Organovo’s patent claims at issue are invalid, not infringed, or both. We look forward to coming to a favourable resolution and will provide updates as they become available.

The products concerned are expected to account for approximately 1-2 percent of the Group's estimated revenues in 2022 and therefore this is non-material for the Group. BICO remains steadfastly committed to evolving the future of health. As the world’s leading bio convergence company, we look forward to continuing to set the trends in the bio convergence space and collaborating with our industry peers to work toward solving the major health challenges we face as a society.

Background

• CELLINK filed a complaint for a declaratory judgment in June 2021 to the U.S. District Court in Delaware about non-infringement of certain of Organovo’s patents in order to strengthen our market position and freedom to operate.
• In July, 2021, Organovo, filed a patent infringement action against CELLINK in the U.S. District Court in the Western District of Texas, asserting that a single CELLINK product family infringes four U.S. patents. Organovo’s Texas Court Action was later, in December 2021, transferred to the Delaware Court and both cases will from now on be tried by the Delaware court.
• The so-called counterclaims filed by Organovo in January 2022 refers to the transferred claims from the Texas Court. We strongly oppose the counter claim, and our standpoint is clear: Organovo’s patent claims at issue are invalid, not infringed, or both.

For further information, please contact:
Gusten Danielsson, CFO
Phone (US): +1 (857) 332 2138
Phone (Sweden): +46 70 991 86 04     
Email: gd@bico.com

Lotta Bus, General Counsel
Phone (Sweden): +46 70 611 75 08
Email: lb@bico.com     

This information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact persons set out above, on January 11, 2022 at 17:05 (CET).

About BICO

Founded in 2016, BICO (formerly CELLINK) is the leading bio convergence company in the world. By combining different technologies, such as robotics, artificial intelligence, computer science, and 3D bioprinting with biology, we enable our customers to improve people's health and lives for the better.

The company has a focus on developing technologies that will advance Health 4.0 Next Generation Core Industry Ecosystems that enable tissue engineering, diagnostics, multiomics, and cell line development. BICO’s technologies enable researchers in the life sciences to culture cells in 3D, perform high-throughput drug screening and print human tissues and organs for the medical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. We create the future of health.  

The Group’s instruments in the field amounts to 25,000, including all the top 20 pharmaceutical companies, are being used in more than 65 countries, and have been cited in more than 9,500 publications. BICO is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm under BICO. www.bico.com