A U.S. District Court in Delaware issued a ruling on April 6, 2026 that awards Natera a 30% ongoing royalty on post‑injunction revenues from MRD‑related product sales that fall within the narrow exceptions to the injunction against ArcherDx and Invitae. The decision was announced on April 9, 2026, and confirms that Natera will receive a substantial share of revenue generated from its MRD‑related tests after the court‑ordered injunction is lifted.
The 30% royalty applies only to sales that occur after the injunction is lifted and that fall within the exceptions identified by the court. The pre‑injunction royalty rate, which was set by a jury in a May 2023 trial, remains at 20.5% for all other sales. The jury also upheld its verdict that Natera’s patents are valid and that ArcherDx and Invitae infringed on them for non‑MRD products, preserving the broader scope of the litigation.
Natera’s financial performance in the period leading up to the ruling underscores the significance of the new royalty stream. In Q4 2025 the company reported total revenues of $665.5 million, up 39.8% from $476.1 million in Q4 2024. For the full year 2025, revenues reached $2,306.1 million, a 35.9% increase over $1,696.9 million in 2024. The growth was driven by a 16.5% rise in total test volume to 923,600 tests, and a 54.7% increase in oncology tests—including the Signatera MRD test—to 233,300 tests in Q4 2025.
The Signatera product line, which is a category leader in tumor‑informed MRD testing, is expected to benefit directly from the 30% royalty. The court’s decision reinforces Natera’s intellectual‑property moat in the cfDNA market and provides a predictable revenue stream that can support future investment in product development and market expansion. Management highlighted the company’s strong performance, noting that “We delivered an outstanding finish to 2025 with record test volumes, strong revenue that exceeded our January pre‑announcement, and gross margins well ahead of our expectations even as we continued to invest significantly throughout the year.”
Analysts reacted positively to the ruling, with Natera’s stock showing a modest pre‑market lift on the day of the announcement. The market viewed the 30% royalty as a tailwind that could enhance top‑line growth and strengthen the company’s competitive position against rivals in the cfDNA testing space. The ruling also signals that Natera’s patent portfolio remains robust, which may reduce future litigation risk and support the company’s long‑term valuation.
The court’s decision is a key milestone in a long‑standing patent dispute that began with a permanent injunction in November 2023. The ruling clarifies that Natera will receive ongoing royalties for sales that fall within the narrow exceptions, thereby turning a legal victory into a tangible financial benefit. The new royalty stream is expected to contribute positively to N5’s 2026 revenue outlook, which the company has projected at $2.62 billion to $2.70 billion.
The market’s reaction reflects confidence in Natera’s ability to monetize its intellectual property and to sustain growth in the competitive cfDNA market. The ruling also underscores the importance of robust patent protection for companies operating in high‑technology diagnostics, where legal disputes can have a material impact on revenue streams and investor sentiment.
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