Moderna Entangles Pfizer/BioNTech In COVID-19 Vaccine Patent Lawsuits: All You Need To Know

Moderna Inc MRNA has filed patent infringement lawsuits against Pfizer Inc PFE and BioNTech SE BNTX in the U.S. and Germany.

Moderna believes that Pfizer/BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine infringes patents filed between 2010 and 2016 covering foundational mRNA technology, critical in creating Moderna's mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.

In July, Pfizer and BioNTech filed a complaint seeking a judgment that they did not infringe patents related to the COVID-19 vaccine held by CureVac N.V. CVAC

Moderna says that at first, Pfizer and BioNTech took four different vaccine candidates into clinical testing. They ultimately decided to proceed with a vaccine with the same mRNA chemical modification to its vaccine.

Moderna scientists introduced the mRNA into the body in 2010 and were the first to validate it in human trials in 2015.

Secondly, despite having many different options, Pfizer and BioNTech copied Moderna's approach to encode the full-length spike protein in a lipid nanoparticle formulation for a coronavirus. 

Moderna scientists developed this approach by creating a vaccine for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome years before COVID-19 emerged.

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc ALNY and Arbutus Biopharma Corporation ABUS have lawsuits against Moderna regarding its COVID-19 vaccine.

Price Action: MRNA shares are up 0.04% at $142.10, PFE shares are down 0.81% at $47.51, and BNTX stock is down 2.28% at $145.18 during the premarket session on the last check Friday.