dsm-firmenich filed patent infringement litigation in China over a patent covering the production of sclareol, according to a weekly industry roundup. Sclareol is a biobased ingredient used in fragrances and as a precursor for ambroxide and other high-value compounds.
The litigation underscored the role of intellectual property in biobased ingredient routes as companies invest in fermentation and synthetic biology to produce specialty molecules. China has become a major producer of fermentation-derived ingredients, and patent disputes are increasingly common as domestic producers challenge established Western suppliers.
