ABL Diagnostics renews U.S. patent for hepatitis B genotyping technology

ABL Diagnostics said it has renewed a key U.S. patent covering hepatitis B virus genotyping and antiviral resistance analysis, extending protection for technology used by reference laboratories worldwide. The move strengthens the company’s licensing position as long-term HBV monitoring remains central to treatment and diagnostics. Why it matters: - The patent renewal extends protection for technology tied to hepatitis B virus genotyping and antiviral resistance analysis through about August 19, 2029. - The patent supports ABL Diagnostics’ licensing model with reference laboratories and helps protect recurring revenue from molecular diagnostics workflows. - HBV genotyping and resistance testing remain relevant as chronic hepatitis B affects nearly 296 million people worldwide. What happened: - ABL Diagnostics said its parent company, Advanced Biological Laboratories (ABL) S.A. in Luxembourg, renewed U.S. patent US 8,859,198 B2. - The patent is titled “Detection and Use of Antiviral Resistance Mutations.” - The company said the renewal follows the latest USPTO maintenance milestone in 2026. - ABL Diagnostics is headquartered in Woippy, France, and trades on Euronext Paris under the ticker ABLD. The details: - US 8,859,198 B2 covers detection of HBV variants linked to reduced susceptibility to antiviral therapies. - The patent also covers characterization of hepatitis B viral mutations associated with altered response to treatments including lamivudine, adefovir, entecavir and tenofovir. - ABL said the technology is licensed to leading reference laboratories worldwide. - Those laboratories use the patented methods in HBV genotyping and antiviral resistance testing workflows. - ABL Diagnostics said its broader HBV offering combines molecular assays and bioinformatics tools. - DeepChek® Assays are designed for HBV genotyping, resistance-associated mutation detection and vaccine escape mutation detection. - The assays are intended for use with PCR amplification and sequencing workflows, including Sanger and next-generation sequencing. - DeepChek® Software includes an HBV module that is CE-IVD marked in the European Union. - SeqHepB is an online interpretation and research-use platform for resistance-associated mutation identification, genotype determination and resistance profiling. - SeqHepB is not a CE-IVD or FDA-cleared medical device. - ABL said product availability and regulatory status vary by country. - ABL Diagnostics markets molecular PCR detection under UltraGene and genotyping by DNA sequencing under DeepChek®. - The company also markets products for HIV drug resistance testing, SARS-CoV-2, tuberculosis, hepatitis B and C, microbiome analysis and other viral and bacterial targets. - ABL Diagnostics said Nadis®, its patient medical record system, is used in more than 200 hospitals in France for HIV and hepatitis management. - The company said its products generate recurring revenues and cover one of the largest portfolios of microbiology applications. - The company’s website is available at more information . Between the lines: - The patent renewal matters because HBV resistance testing is only useful if the underlying intellectual property remains protected in key markets. - ABL is positioning HBV diagnostics as a long-cycle business, where lab adoption, licensing and software interpretation tools reinforce one another. - The company is also signaling that molecular diagnostics is not just about wet-lab assays; data analysis and reporting software are part of the commercial stack. - ABL said chronic hepatitis B treatment has improved with nucleos(t)ide analogues such as entecavir and tenofovir, but resistance-associated mutations can still emerge in some contexts. - That makes long-term genomic monitoring a continuing need rather than a one-time test. What’s next: - ABL Diagnostics will likely continue marketing its HBV assays, software and interpretation tools to laboratory partners under the renewed patent protection. - The company said the patent’s active status should support its broader global diagnostics and licensing strategy. - Continued adoption of molecular diagnostics could keep demand steady for HBV genotyping and resistance analysis. The bottom line: - ABL Diagnostics has extended a core U.S. patent that protects one of its key hepatitis B technologies and helps secure its licensing and diagnostics business for several more years.