Delaware Court Dismissed Onego Bio Patent Lawsuit
A federal court ruled that The EVERY Company did not issue legal threats, ending the dispute over egg-protein patents.
Updated on Oct. 13, 2026 in Biotech
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A U.S. federal court in Delaware has dismissed a patent lawsuit filed by Onego Bio against The EVERY Company. The court determined that no legal threats were made, leaving the validity of the disputed patent unaddressed.
Why it matters
The lawsuit sought a declaratory judgment to invalidate US Patent No. 12,096,784, which governs specific methods of precision-fermented ovalbumin production. By dismissing the case, the court avoided a ruling on the patent itself while clearing the company of claims regarding threatening litigation.
The dispute centered on US Patent No. 12,096,784 regarding the production of ovalbumin, a protein Onego Bio derives from Trichoderma reesei fungi and The EVERY Company produces using yeast.
The players
Onego Bio
This food technology company produces ovalbumin-based protein products and is currently expanding its manufacturing footprint in the United States.
The EVERY Company
Originally founded as Clara Foods, this biotechnology firm specializes in producing animal-free proteins through precision fermentation.
The details
Onego Bio argued that the patent was unenforceable and sought to clear its market position, but the court characterized previous statements by The EVERY Company as investor puffing rather than legal intimidation. The company continues to sell its Bioalbumen protein in the U.S. while tracking patent proceedings in international markets including Japan and Europe.
Timeline
The EVERY Company was founded as Clara Foods in 2014.
Onego Bio filed the lawsuit in Delaware in September 2025.
A parallel patent lawsuit in Wisconsin was dismissed in May 2026.
The Delaware court officially dismissed the lawsuit on October 13, 2026.
The Tech Race
This case highlights the intense intellectual property battles defining the precision-fermented ovalbumin production sector. Companies are racing to secure market share for animal-free egg proteins, using patent litigation as a core strategy to defend their proprietary fermentation methods.
The court's decision ensures that Onego Bio can continue selling its Bioalbumen protein in the U.S. market without current domestic litigation hurdles. For consumers, this means the continued availability of animal-free egg proteins in the supply chain as companies scale production.
The takeaway
The dismissal highlights how federal courts distinguish between legitimate legal threats and marketing puffery when evaluating patent disputes. Companies in the biotech sector should continue monitoring international patent filings as they expand their production facilities across the country.
Further reading
For more on industry developments in this field, visit our Biotech section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by vegconomist - the vegan business magazine.
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