Ajinomoto Sues Over Tryptophan Technology

Japanese food and chemical company Ajinomoto, together with its subsidiaries Ajinomoto Heartland and Ajinomoto Eurolysine in the US and France, respectively, has filed lawsuits against South Korea’s CJ CheilJedang Corp and three of its subsidiaries alleging infringement of its tryptophan production process.

The suits were filed on May 10 with the US International Trade Commission, the US District Court for the Southern District of New York and the District Court of Düsseldorf in Germany.

CJ CheilJedang makes tryptophan, an amino acid used in livestock feed, at its subsidiary in Indonesia, and Ajinomoto believes the manufacturing process employed infringes its patent rights. As a result, the three Ajinomoto companies have requested an injunction to stop the South Korean firm selling tryptophan and demanded compensation for damages.

Although it has not been disclosed how much compensation is being sought, it is estimated that it could include losses incurred from tryptophan sales for the past several years.

The Japanese producer said infringement of its intellectual property obstructs its R&D efforts and it will continue to pursue necessary measures to protect its legitimate rights.

CheilJedang is reported to be aware of the lawsuits but said it had not yet received any details.

The global market for tryptophan is reported to be worth an estimated $17.2 billion.