Harbour BioMed wins $20.2m patent verdict as jury finds willful infringement

A Delaware jury awarded Harbour BioMed $20.2 million in damages after finding Amgen willfully infringed patents covering the biotech's antibody discovery platform, a verdict that could reshape competitive dynamics in therapeutic antibody development.

"This is an epic victory for Harbour BioMed, reaffirming the company as the true innovator behind this transformative technology," Dr. Jingsong Wang, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Harbour BioMed, said.

The jury in the US District Court for the District of Delaware deliberated for three hours before returning a unanimous verdict on all counts, finding that Amgen and its subsidiary Teneobio infringed the so-called Grosveld Patent, named after Professor Frank Grosveld, a founder of Harbour Antibodies. The case, originally filed in 2021, centered on Harbour's proprietary transgenic rodent technology used to generate fully human monoclonal antibodies. The finding of willful infringement entitles Harbour to petition the judge to treble the award to as much as $60.6 million.

The verdict validates Harbour's Harbour Mice platform, which produces antibodies in both conventional two-heavy-two-light chain and heavy chain-only formats. Harbour said it will continue enforcing its broader patent portfolio, with a focus on another patent carrying substantially greater financial implications — potentially representing as much as 10 times the damages awarded in this case, or more than $200 million.

Harbour BioMed, listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under ticker 02142, built its Harbour Mice platform to generate fully human monoclonal antibodies for therapeutic use in immunology, oncology and other areas. The technology, developed by Grosveld, has been central to Harbour's strategy of licensing its discovery engine to larger pharmaceutical companies. Beyond the Harbour Mice platform, the company has developed additional technologies including HBICE bispecific antibodies and HCAb PLUS multi-specific medicines, as well as a generative AI antibody model powered by its Hu-mAtrIx platform.

The verdict is particularly notable in the District of Delaware, where large jury awards in complex patent cases are relatively uncommon. Harbour had pivoted its litigation strategy before trial, pursuing one patent aggressively in court while preparing to appeal a court ruling on another to the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The company's pipeline spans immunology, oncology and other therapeutic areas, with its technology platform serving as the foundation for both internal programs and external partnerships.

Harbour shares, which trade on the Hong Kong exchange, are likely to benefit from the verdict as it removes a key overhang and opens the door to significant future damages. The second patent enforcement, if successful, could generate revenue multiples above the current award, providing a potential cash infusion for a company that relies on platform licensing revenue to fund its pipeline.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.