Biotechnology Company Innogenetics announced today that a U.S. District Court judge for the Western District of Wisconsin affirmed a previously awarded $7 million damage verdict against Abbott Laboratories for infringing the company's HCV genotyping patent. In the same ruling the judge rejected Abbott's requests for a new trial on infringement and validity. The January 3, 2007 order also granted Innogenetics' motion for prejudgment interest on the damage award and set a January 11 evidentiary hearing date to consider the company's request for a permanent injunction against Abbott's sale of infringing products. The judge's opinion vacated the jury's determination that Abbott willfully infringed Innogenetics' patent, and declined to award enhanced damages or attorneys fees. "By upholding the jury's award of damages, today's ruling sends a message to companies large and small that mistakenly believe they can misappropriate others' innovations without regard for the law," said Frank Morich, CEO of Innogenetics. This litigation began in September 2005 when Innogenetics sued Abbott Laboratories alleging that Abbott was infringing the company's United States patent covering a method of genotyping the Hepatitis C Virus (U.S. Patent No. 5,846,704, "the '704 patent").