According to the lawsuit filed Feb. 20, Natera recruited former Guardant scientists who transferred thousands of confidential files to develop competing tests. Natera dismissed the allegations as baseless and said it intends to defend itself vigorously.
This legal action adds to a series of disputes between the two companies. In November 2024, Guardant won a $292.5 million verdict against Natera for false advertising, wherein Natera was found to have misled clinicians about Guardant’s colorectal cancer blood test, Guardant Reveal, in favor of its own product, Signatera.
Guardant’s Shield became the first blood test approved by the FDA as a primary screening option for colorectal cancer. The current lawsuit claims Guardant’s development of early cancer detection tests has “sparked jealousy from its competitors.”
Guardant also alleged that Natera aggressively targeted Guardant employees to enhance its position in the early cancer-detection market. Specifically, Guardant alleged that two scientists, Alan Selewa and Catalin Barbacioru, transferred over 6,500 confidential files to external devices before joining Natera.
Guardant seeks a court order to prevent the dissemination of its trade secrets and is pursuing monetary damages.
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