A court found a Hybritech patent to be invalid.

The San Diego-based company said it will appeal a court decision that stripped it of a patent protecting a monoclonal antibody testing method used to diagnose and monitor medical conditions such as pregnancies and colon cancer. The suit “was a financial disappointment, but it will not hurt our leadership position in the market,” according to Hybritech Senior Vice President Tim Wollaeger. “We have been producing (products) and have a significant market share.”