Chiron Corporation and Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (LabCorp) have signed a licensing agreement for Chiron's hepatitis C virus (HCV) intellectual property for nucleic acid testing (NAT).

The agreement gives LabCorp, including its subsidiary National Genetics Institute (NGI), a semi-exclusive license to use Chiron's patented HCV NAT technology in screening plasma donations in the United States, subject to existing licenses and certain conditions. As part of the licensing arrangement, LabCorp has also agreed not to challenge the validity or enforceability of certain Chiron HCV patents. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed, according to a statement from Chiron.

"This license agreement and settlement attests to the significant scientific breakthrough Chiron scientists made by discovering the elusive virus responsible for hepatitis C. To date, Chiron has licensed more than 15 companies with its HCV technology, enabling these companies to find new ways to address the burden of HCV infection," Gene Walther, acting president, Chiron Blood Testing said adding, "We continue to work to enable companies to develop and market products that will reduce the toll from this life-threatening disease and prevent its transmission."