Hybritech won a biotechnology patent appeal.

A U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that San Diego-based Hybritech, a subsidiary of Eli Lilly & Co., holds a valid patent on monoclonal antibody technology used in tests that determine pregnancy, cancer and other medical conditions. The decision reversed an earlier court ruling that Hybritech’s patent was invalid. The trial court in San Francisco must now determine if tests marketed by Monoclonal Antibodies, a San Francisco test manufacturer, infringe on Hybritech’s patent. In a related development, Hybritech Chairman Howard E. Greene Jr. said he is now acting in an “advisory capacity” at Hybritech and is considering starting a venture capital firm.