Moderna suing Pfizer over patent for ‘foundational’ COVID-19 mRNA vaccine

Moderna is suing Pfizer and its biotech partner BioNTech for allegedly infringing on the “foundational” patent for the mRNA technology that forms the foundation of both companies’ COVID-19 vaccines.

In a press release issued Friday morning, Moderna announced the lawsuits and alleged that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine “infringes patents Moderna filed between 2010 and 2016 covering Moderna’s foundational mRNA technology.” Read more: How Pfizer’s and Moderna’s mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines work “This groundbreaking technology was critical to the development of Moderna’s own mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, Spikevax,” the company said in its statement. “Pfizer and BioNTech copied this technology, without Moderna’s permission, to make Comirnaty.” Comirnaty is the commercial name for the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, while Spikevax is the commercial name for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

According to Moderna, the alleged patent infringement by Pfizer stems from two specific areas of the vaccine development. The company said Pfizer and BioNTech “took four different vaccine candidates into clinical testing, which included options that would have steered clear of Moderna’s innovative path.” “Pfizer and BioNTech, however, ultimately decided to proceed with a vaccine that has the same exact mRNA chemical modification to its vaccine as Spikevax,” the company said. “Moderna scientists began developing this chemical modification that avoids provoking an undesirable immune response when mRNA is introduced into the body in 2010 and were the first to validate it in human trials in 2015.” Read more: Coronavirus: What you need to know about mRNA vaccines As well, the company said that “despite having many different options, Pfizer and