Recommendation concludes that the asserted patent claims are not eligible for patent protection under U.S. law; Watchmaker’s commitment to TAPS+ customers remains unchanged

BOULDER, Colo. — September 8, 2026 - Watchmaker Genomics, a developer and manufacturer of precision reagents for genomics and molecular diagnostics, today announced that U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathryn A. Starnella has recommended dismissal of the patent infringement complaint brought against Watchmaker by biomodal Limited and Children’s Medical Center Corporation in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.

In the Report and Recommendation issued today, Magistrate Judge Starnella concluded that the asserted claims of U.S. Patent Nos. 12,018,320 and 12,291,742 are directed to patent-ineligible subject matter under 35 U.S.C. § 101 and do not contain an inventive concept sufficient to confer patent eligibility. If adopted by the district judge, the recommendation would result in dismissal of the complaint in full.

biomodal and Children’s Medical Center Corporation filed the action in November 2025, alleging that Watchmaker’s TAPS+ product infringed the two patents and seeking damages and injunctive relief.

“We welcome the magistrate judge’s clear recommendation,” said Trey Foskett, CEO and co-founder of Watchmaker Genomics. “It strongly supports the position Watchmaker has maintained from the outset. Our commitment to TAPS+, our customers, and our partners is unchanged. We will continue to invest in high-performance genomic technologies and deliver the quality, service, and support our customers expect.”

Watchmaker remains committed to the continued development and support of TAPS+. The Watchmaker DNA Library Prep Kit with TAPS+ uses gentle, bisulfite-free chemistry to enable simultaneous detection of DNA methylation and genetic variants from a single library. Its streamlined workflow preserves DNA integrity and base complexity, supporting integrated genomic and epigenomic analysis across research applications.

The Report and Recommendation is subject to review by U.S. District Judge Regina M. Rodriguez and is not a final judgment. The parties may file objections before the district court acts on the recommendation.

The case is biomodal Limited and Children’s Medical Center Corporation v. Watchmaker Genomics, Inc., No. 1:25-cv-03646-RMR-KAS, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.

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Watchmaker Genomics
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