QIAGEN N.V. (NASDAQ: QGEN; Frankfurt, Prime Standard: QIA) and Idaho Technology, Inc. announced that the companies have reached a settlement agreement for rights to a suite of intellectual property relating to Corbett’s Rotor-Gene™ instruments. This settlement preceded QIAGEN’s acquisition of Corbett Life Science Pty. Ltd. announced on July 1, 2008. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The agreement covers Idaho Technology, Inc. patents surrounding rapid polymerase chain reaction methods and instrumentation, the use of SYBR® Green I in PCR reactions, melting curve analysis (rights obtained through Roche Diagnostics GmbH), analysis methods of DNA melting data, specifically high resolution melting (HRM), and others.

The parties further agreed to jointly file a stipulation of dismissal with prejudice with the District Court in Salt Lake City to end the pending legal proceedings. 

This settlement follows Idaho Technology’s January 2007 settlement with Cepheid involving similar intellectual property and extends Idaho Technology’s program to protect their broad and valuable IP portfolio. 

“We are pleased with this settlement which was a condition for our transaction with Corbett and which provides customers of Corbett cyclers and QIAGEN the key freedom to operate elements required to develop, market and operate performance leading real-time PCR detection technologies based on Corbett’s innovative Rotor-Gene solutions”, said Peer Schatz, QIAGEN’s Chief Executive Officer.