Judge Overturns Kaneka's '080 Patent for Lack of Utility and Enablement, Removing Legal Uncertainty for Customers and Partners

JIAXING, China, Sept. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Cocrystal Technology (Jiaxing) Co., Ltd. ("Cocrystal Tech") today announced that the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York has ruled in the company's favor in its long-running patent dispute with Kaneka Corporation, holding that the two patent claims asserted against Cocrystal Tech are invalid. In a Memorandum and Order issued September 2, 2026 in Kaneka Corp. vs. Cocrystal Technology (Jiaxing) Co., Ltd. et al., Case No. 1:23-cv-07483 (E.D.N.Y.), the Court found that Kaneka failed to meet the utility and enablement requirements of U.S. patent law, entered judgment in Cocrystal Tech's favor, and closed the case. As a result, Cocrystal Tech is entitled to continue to manufacture, market, and sell its reduced coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinol) ingredient, marketed under the CrysQnol™ trademark, in the United States without restriction under the invalidated patent.

Kaneka filed suit against Cocrystal Tech in October 2023 in the Eastern District of New York, alleging that Crystal QH® - Cocrystal Tech's flagship ubiquinol ingredient, now marketed as CrysQnol™ - infringed U.S. Patent No. 7,829,080 (the "'080 Patent"). The asserted claims cover compositions of reduced coenzyme Q10 containing any amount of reduced coenzyme Q11, a naturally occurring minor component found in CoQ10 materials. Although Cocrystal Tech stipulated that its product fell within the literal language of the asserted claims, it maintained throughout the litigation that the claims were invalid. Following nearly two years of fact and expert discovery, the Court agreed, finding on summary judgment that Kaneka's asserted invention was based on an untested hypothesis rather than a patentable invention. The Court further noted that even Kaneka's own inventors and expert witnesses could not explain, and had never studied, how or why coenzyme Q11 would have any stabilizing effect.

The ruling brings welcome finality to a dispute that has spanned nearly three years and removes a significant source of uncertainty for the U.S. nutraceutical industry. With the asserted patent claims invalidated, brand partners, formulators, CMOs and distributors can evaluate CrysQnol™ on its own technical and commercial merits - including stability, bioavailability, formulation flexibility, supply security, and cost efficiency.

The decision also underscores years of investment in Cocrystal Tech's proprietary cocrystal stabilization technology, reinforcing the company's position as an innovator in the global ubiquinol ingredient market. "Our focus has never been on following an established path, but on solving difficult scientific problems through our own research and technology," said Dr. Xuefeng Mei, Founder of Cocrystal Tech. "We are pleased that the Court has recognized the importance of the issues at stake in this case. For us, the ruling marks not an endpoint, but an opportunity to bring our technology to more customers and continue innovating in the U.S. market".

Introducing CrysQnol™: The New Name for Cocrystal's Ubiquinol

In conjunction with this legal milestone, Cocrystal Tech - owner of the Crystal QH® trademark - has initiated the transition to its new CrysQnol™ brand, formalizing the rebrand across its global trademark matrix. Customers and partners can expect full continuity of formulation and specifications through the transition, with the CrysQnol™ brand now serving as the unified identity for Cocrystal's ubiquinol ingredient.

The favorable ruling comes as Cocrystal Tech continues to expand its portfolio of premium, science-backed nutritional ingredients. Built on the company's proprietary Cocrysta™ technology platform, Cocrystal Tech's ingredient lineup - including CrysQnol™, CurCutine™, Precitein™, and UroRenu™ - is designed to improve the stability, bioavailability, and performance of some of the industry's most in-demand nutraceutical compounds. Cocrystal Tech remains committed to protecting and growing its intellectual property portfolio and to investing in the research that differentiates its ingredients in an increasingly competitive global market.

About Cocrystal Tech

Cocrystal Tech is the world's first company to apply pharmaceutical-grade cocrystal technology to human nutrition. We are committed to creating higher-value nutrition solutions that deliver more with less.

We believe true innovation goes beyond advancing science. For us, it means making nutrition solutions more sustainable, more accessible, and more impactful for people everywhere. Our ingredients and formulations are now trusted across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific by leading brands and partners worldwide. For more information, visit www.cocrystaltech.com.

Media Contact:
Christina Huang, Marketing Director
Cocrystal Technology (Jiaxing) Co., Ltd.
jhuang@cocrystaltech.com