Natera resolved two threads of its minimal residual disease testing patent dispute this week, securing a 30% ongoing royalty against Invitae in an infringement suit while voluntarily dismissing its appeal against NeoGenomics, according to 360Dx and GenomeWeb.
A court awarded Natera a 30% ongoing royalty in its MRD patent infringement case against Invitae, though the payout was reduced from what Natera originally sought, 360Dx reported. Separately, Natera voluntarily dismissed its appeal in the MRD patent suit against NeoGenomics, GenomeWeb reported—effectively ending the company's effort to use intellectual property claims to constrain a direct competitor in tumor-informed MRD testing.
The Invitae royalty provides Natera a revenue stream tied to MRD testing volumes under the infringed patents, though the reduced rate limits financial upside. For Invitae, the royalty represents an ongoing cost in MRD but not a market exit event.
The NeoGenomics dismissal carries greater strategic weight. NeoGenomics markets its RaDaR assay as a tumor-informed MRD test for solid tumors, placing it in direct competition with Natera's Signatera. By walking away from the appeal, Natera forfeits its IP-based challenge to NeoGenomics in MRD. NeoGenomics can now pursue MRD expansion without patent litigation overhang.
The combined resolution removes legal uncertainty for multiple MRD market participants. Natera retains its commercial position in MRD through Signatera's installed base and payer coverage rather than through patent exclusivity. The MRD testing market remains a high-growth segment in molecular oncology, with multiple players—including Guardant Health, Myriad Genetics, and Personalis—building or expanding competing platforms.