TJ Biotech v. Agrosource — HLB Antimicrobial Patent Dispute Transferred After One Day
TJ Biotech, LLC filed a patent infringement action against Agrosource, Inc. in the Southern District of Florida, asserting US12382956B2 covering ReMedium TI®, a systemic injectable oxytetracycline treatment for Huanglongbing (HLB) citrus disease. The case was administratively closed and renumbered to 9:25-cv-81008 within 24 hours due to an incorrect venue division selected by the filer.
Venue Division Error Triggers Immediate Reassignment of HLB Patent Suit
On August 13, 2025, TJ Biotech, LLC, through counsel at Hicks Porter Ebenfeld & Stein P.A., filed a patent infringement complaint in the Southern District of Florida against Agrosource, Inc. The asserted patent, US12382956B2, covers ReMedium TI®, a pharmaceutical-grade oxytetracycline hydrochloride formulation administered by systemic injection to control or suppress Huanglongbing (HLB), the citrus greening disease that poses a severe threat to commercial citrus production.
The following day, August 14, 2025, the court’s clerk issued an administrative notice closing case number 1:25-cv-23645 on the grounds that the filer had selected the wrong venue division within the Southern District of Florida. The case was not dismissed on the merits; it was renumbered to 9:25-cv-81008, indicating reassignment to the West Palm Beach division. All future proceedings will occur under that new case number.
A one-day lifespan is consistent with a purely administrative reassignment and carries no implication for the strength of TJ Biotech’s infringement claims or the validity of the asserted patent. The underlying dispute over the ReMedium TI® HLB antimicrobial technology remains live under the new docket. The public record for this case number does not disclose the specific accused products or the precise infringement theory advanced by TJ Biotech against Agrosource.
Filing to Case Terminated in 1 days
Case closed within 24 hours — administrative reassignment, not merits dismissal
What a venue reassignment means — and what happens next
Wrong division, not wrong court — a procedural reset
The clerk’s notice confirms the Southern District of Florida remains the proper district, but the filer selected the incorrect internal division. Administratively closing and renumbering to 9:25-cv-81008 is a housekeeping correction, not a jurisdictional challenge or dismissal. The litigation continues without interruption to TJ Biotech’s substantive rights.
No merits impactDivision reassignment can shift judge, local rules, and scheduling norms
Within a multi-division district, reassignment to the West Palm Beach division (prefix 9:) typically means a different assigned judge and potentially different case management practices compared to the Miami division (prefix 1:). Scheduling orders, discovery timelines, and motion practice preferences can vary materially by division. Parties should monitor the new docket for judge assignment and any early case management orders.
Monitor new docketLitigation continues in full under case 9:25-cv-81008
All filings, responses, and service obligations now attach to the renumbered case. Agrosource will need to respond to the complaint under the new case number. TJ Biotech’s infringement claims under US12382956B2 and any related requests for injunctive relief or damages remain unresolved. Practitioners tracking this dispute should update their docket monitoring to the new case number immediately.
Case continuesHLB treatment IP is strategically high-value in Florida’s citrus sector
Florida’s citrus industry has faced severe pressure from HLB for over a decade. An injectable oxytetracycline antimicrobial claiming systemic HLB control represents commercially significant IP. The fact that TJ Biotech moved to enforce US12382956B2 against an agricultural inputs company suggests the patent holder views its market position as defensible. The transfer does nothing to reduce the commercial stakes of the underlying dispute.
High-value agri-biotech IPFull party and counsel information
| Role | Name | Type | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plaintiff | TJ Biotech, LLC | Company | Agri-biotech company — holder of US12382956B2 covering injectable HLB antimicrobialSearch in Eureka ↗ |
| Defendant | Agrosource, Inc. | Company | Agrosource, Inc. — agricultural inputs company, accused of infringing ReMedium TI® patentSearch in Eureka ↗ |
| Plaintiff counsel | Allison Guaty | Attorney | Counsel for TJ Biotech, LLCSearch in Eureka ↗ |
| Plaintiff law firm | Hicks Porter Ebenfeld & Stein P.A. | Law Firm | Representing TJ Biotech, LLCSearch in Eureka ↗ |
| Presiding judge | Judge N/A | Judge | Florida Southern District CourtSearch in Eureka ↗ |
Official order — verbatim text
The clerk’s notice records a purely administrative disposition: the case was closed because the filer selected the wrong internal division within the Southern District of Florida, not because of any jurisdictional defect or merits ruling. The explicit renumbering to 9:25-cv-81008 confirms the infringement action is fully alive and proceeding. This entry carries no preclusive effect and does not reflect any court evaluation of TJ Biotech’s claims under US12382956B2.
US12382956B2 — Injectable Oxytetracycline Antimicrobial for Citrus HLB Control
US12382956B2, filed under application number US17/516229, protects a pharmaceutical-grade oxytetracycline hydrochloride formulation designed for systemic injection into citrus trees to control or suppress Huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening disease. HLB is caused by the bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus and is transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid; it has devastated commercial citrus production globally. A systemically delivered antimicrobial targeting the causative pathogen represents a technically and commercially distinct approach compared to topical or foliar treatments.
For the Florida citrus industry, which has seen production volumes decline sharply due to HLB, an effective injectable antimicrobial product holds significant commercial value. TJ Biotech’s decision to assert this patent against Agrosource, an agricultural inputs company, suggests the patentee views the market for HLB treatment products as competitive and the patent as a meaningful barrier to entry. Formulators, distributors, and applicators of oxytetracycline-based tree injection products operating in the U.S. market should assess their exposure to this patent’s claims, particularly given the active enforcement posture now established.
Should you run an FTO against US12382956B2?
Any R&D team developing, formulating, or commercialising injectable antimicrobial treatments for Huanglongbing or other systemic citrus diseases should treat US12382956B2 as a priority FTO target following this enforcement filing. The asserted patent covers pharmaceutical-grade oxytetracycline hydrochloride delivered by systemic injection — a formulation and delivery route now under active litigation in the Southern District of Florida. Agricultural input companies advising growers on HLB management programmes face particular exposure.
PatSnap Eureka’s FTO Search Agent enables R&D and IP teams to map the full claim scope of US12382956B2, identify related family members and continuation applications, and benchmark against the prior art landscape for injectable citrus antimicrobials. With an active enforcement case now running under 9:25-cv-81008, the risk window for unreviewed product launches in this space is closing. Eureka’s automated prosecution history analysis and claim charting tools can accelerate the FTO review significantly.
Run a freedom-to-operate analysis on US12382956B2 to assess your product’s exposure
Run FTO in Eureka →Similar HLB Antimicrobial and Agri-Biotech Patent Cases in S.D. Florida
Cases involving agricultural biotech and antimicrobial treatment patents litigated in the Southern District of Florida, relevant to the HLB citrus disease treatment IP landscape.
What this case signals for the HLB treatment and agri-biotech IP landscape
The renumbering is procedural — but the underlying enforcement action over injectable HLB antimicrobial IP carries real strategic weight for Florida’s citrus sector.
Enforce docket monitoring under the new case number immediately
Case 1:25-cv-23645 is administratively closed and will receive no further entries. All substantive activity — judge assignment, scheduling, responsive pleadings — will appear only under 9:25-cv-81008. Competitors, licensees, and industry observers tracking this HLB antimicrobial dispute must update their monitoring tools now to avoid missing critical filings.
US12382956B2 is now actively enforced — FTO review is urgent
TJ Biotech’s decision to assert US12382956B2 against Agrosource signals an active enforcement posture. Any company formulating, distributing, or advising on oxytetracycline-based HLB treatments in the U.S. should conduct a freedom-to-operate review against this patent before the litigation develops a damages record that could inform future royalty demands.
TJ v Agrosource — key questions answered
The case was administratively closed on August 14, 2025 — one day after filing — because the filer selected the wrong division within the Southern District of Florida. The infringement action was not dismissed on the merits. It was renumbered to 9:25-cv-81008 and continues in the West Palm Beach division of S.D. Florida.
TJ Biotech asserts US12382956B2 (application no. US17/516229), which covers ReMedium TI® — a pharmaceutical-grade oxytetracycline hydrochloride formulation administered by systemic injection for the control or suppression of Huanglongbing (HLB) citrus greening disease.
Following the administrative reassignment, the case continues under docket number 9:25-cv-81008 in the Southern District of Florida. Case number 1:25-cv-23645 is closed and will receive no further docket entries.
No. The administrative closure was a procedural correction for an incorrect division selection by the filer. It carries no preclusive effect and does not reflect any court evaluation of the merits. TJ Biotech’s infringement claims under US12382956B2 remain fully live under the renumbered case 9:25-cv-81008.
ReMedium TI® is a systemic injectable antimicrobial containing pharmaceutical-grade oxytetracycline hydrochloride, designed to control or suppress Huanglongbing (HLB), the bacterial citrus disease that has severely damaged Florida’s citrus industry. Its protection under US12382956B2 and the active enforcement action against Agrosource suggest TJ Biotech is taking an assertive commercialisation and enforcement posture in this high-value agri-biotech niche.
PatSnap Eureka searches patents and litigation data to answer instantly.