Sweegen, the global pioneer in wellness ingredient technologies and innovations, announced its victory against PureCircle in a stevia Rebaudioside M (Reb M) patent lawsuit.

“Today’s judgment vindicates Sweegen and affirms the company’s position as an industry leader in innovative sweetener solutions,” said Steven Chen, chief executive officer of Sweegen.

PureCircle, acquired by Ingredion in 2021, had filed the 2018 lawsuit against Sweegen in the US District Court for the Central District of California, accusing Sweegen of infringing two PureCircle patents covering the manufacture of Reb M.

The legal tide turned on PureCircle when Sweegen obtained a summary judgment that both of PureCircle’s asserted patents are invalid. Since it is impossible to infringe an invalid patent, the court’s invalidation of the asserted patents ends the infringement case against Sweegen at the US District Court.

“As a holder of core proprietary technologies of wellness ingredients, Sweegen vigorously guards its intellectual property rights and respects those of others,” said Chen. “We have always maintained that PureCircle’s patents were invalid and its case against Sweegen spurious.”

Sweegen is the primary producer of the highly sought-after non-GMO Reb M originating from the stevia leaf, made with a proprietary clean bioconversion method.

The case is PureCircle USA Inc., et al. v. Sweegen, Inc., et al., case number 8:18-CV-01679-JVS-JDE, in the United States District Court, Central District of California, Southern Division.