UNITED STATES: Moderna would file a lawsuit against Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech for patent infringement in connection with the development of the first Covid-19 vaccines.
The U.S. biotech business asserts that its mRNA technology was duplicated before the epidemic. The complaint demanding undisclosed monetary damages was filed in the United States and Germany.
Pfizer stated that it was astonished by the action and would defend itself fiercely against the allegations. Moderna stated in a statement that Pfizer/BioNTech copied two essential components of its intellectual property.
One involves a chemical alteration that, according to Moderna, its researchers were the first to demonstrate in human trials in 2015; this modification prevents the vaccine from inducing an unwanted immune response.
The second alleged violation relates to the manner in which both vaccines target the virus's unique spike protein.
These cases are being filed to defend the breakthrough mRNA technology platform that Moderna pioneered, invested billions of dollars in developing, and patented in the decade preceding the Covid-19 outbreak, according to Stephane Bancel, the company's chief executive.