COVID-19 vaccine manufacturer Moderna filed a lawsuit against Pfizer and BioNTech.
On Friday, Moderna filed lawsuits against the companies claiming they infringed upon mRNA patents filed between 2010 and 2016. The company claims Pfizer copied two features of the patented mRNA technology. Moderna filed the suits in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts, where Moderna is based as well as the Regional Court of Düsseldorf in Germany, where BioNTech is based.
“Moderna believes that Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty infringes patents Moderna filed between 2010 and 2016. Covering Moderna’s foundational mRNA technology,” the company said. “This groundbreaking technology was critical to the development of Moderna’s own mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, Spikevax. Pfizer and BioNTech copied this technology, without Moderna’s permission, to make Comirnaty.”
Moderna’s chief executive, Stephane Bancel, says the suits were filed to “protect the innovative mRNA technology platform” that the company created and patented before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pfizer commented on the lawsuit and denied Moderna’s allegations.
“Pfizer/BioNTech has not yet fully reviewed the complaint. But we are surprised by the litigation given the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine was based on BioNTech’s proprietary mRNA technology and developed by both BioNTech and Pfizer, “Pfizer said. “We remain confident in our intellectual property supporting the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and will vigorously defend against the allegations of the lawsuit.”
Nevertheless, Moderna says they do not want Pfizer and BioNTech to remove their vaccines from the market but wants their financial share.
