MADISON, Wis.--()--Promega Corporation announced today that it has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Aobious, Inc. to protect its intellectual property rights regarding furimazine and its associated variants. Furimazine is a critical component of NanoLuc® luciferase technology developed by Promega, and the company holds multiple active U.S. patents protecting the structure of furimazine and its variants. With this legal action, Promega aims to halt unauthorized sales of furimazine and its derivatives.

“Furimazine substrates represent years of dedicated effort by Promega scientists to develop groundbreaking tools that help scientists drive progress in their fields,” says Poncho Meisenheimer, Promega Vice President of Research and Development. “We intend to protect our accomplishments and defend the high-quality products that utilize these unique molecules.”

The lawsuit has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. By initiating legal action, Promega seeks to halt the unauthorized use of its patented technology and reinforce its commitment to defending its intellectual property rights.

Furimazine Substrates and Bioluminescence
Promega has been developing bioluminescence-based research tools since the early 1990s. In 2012, the company introduced NanoLuc® luciferase, a novel enzyme designed for optimal performance as a luminescent reporter. When NanoLuc® luciferase interacts with its substrate, furimazine, which was also developed by Promega, it produces an exceptionally bright luminescent signal. This enzyme forms the foundation of Promega platforms such as NanoBiT®, NanoBRET®, and Lumit® technologies, which enable researchers to study protein expression, localization, degradation, and interactions.

The focus of the patent infringement lawsuit is the patented NanoLuc® substrate furimazine, along with variants hydrofurimazine and fluorofurimazine. As critical components of NanoLuc®-based systems, these substrates are essential for generating bright luminescent signals. Their unique chemical structures are protected by active U.S. patents held by Promega. Promega also holds patents related to the structure of furimazine in 28 additional countries.

Learn more about NanoLuc® luciferase and technologies utilizing NanoLuc here.

About Promega Corporation
Promega Corporation is a leader in providing innovative solutions and technical support to the life sciences industry. The company’s portfolio of over 4,000 products supports a range of life science work across areas such as cell biology; DNA, RNA and protein analysis; drug development; human identification and molecular diagnostics. These tools and technologies have grown in their application over the last 45 years and are used today by scientists and technicians in labs for academic and government research, forensics, pharmaceuticals, clinical diagnostics and veterinary, agricultural and environmental testing. Promega is headquartered in Madison, WI, USA with branches in 16 countries and over 50 global distributors. Learn more at promega.com