Inolex has filed a patent infringement complaint against Actera Ingredients in the US District Court for the District of Delaware in relation to the former’s multifunctional preservation technology for personal care products.
The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania company alleges that Actera Ingredients has infringed claims from two Inolex patents covering its preservation systems comprising caprylhydroxamic acid (CHA) and select diols.
The patents claim the use of these ingredient compositions in formulations as well as blends comprising the CHA-diol compositions.
The lawsuit against Newtown, Pennsylvania-based Actera Ingredients seeks permanent injunctions against further infringements, as well as monetary damages for sales of infringing products.
Last year, Inolex asserted the same patents against AE Chemie in the US District Court for the Central District of California, which resulted in a settlement on favourable terms for Inolex.
“Inolex has spent the past two decades investing heavily in the innovation of safe preservation, specifically under the Spectrastat tradename family of products. As a team of inventors and designers, Inolex takes a firm position in respecting the integrity of intellectual property,” said a company spokeswoman.
Inolex offers its portfolio of CHA-diol broad spectrum systems under the Spectrastat tradename, with particular emphasis on 100% natural systems, such as Spectrastat G2 Natural MB (INCI: Caprylhydroxamic Acid (and) Glyceryl Caprylate (and) Glycerin) and Spectrastat CGE Natural MB (INCI: Caprylhydroxamic Acid (and) Caprylyl Glyceryl Ether (and) Propanediol).
Using a hurdle technology approach, Spectrastat employs an intelligent combination of different preservation factors, or techniques, to create multiple barriers to microbial growth that inhibit microorganisms.
