A single-use syringe awaits to be crammed with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Moderna has sued rival drugmakers for patent infringement.
Rogelio V. Solis/AP
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Rogelio V. Solis/AP
A single-use syringe awaits to be crammed with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Moderna has sued rival drugmakers for patent infringement.
Rogelio V. Solis/AP
Vaccine maker Moderna introduced Friday that it is suing rival drugmakers Pfizer and BioNtech for patent infringement. The lawsuit alleges the 2 corporations used sure key options of expertise Moderna developed to make their COVID-19 vaccine. It argues that Pfizer and BioNtech’s vaccine infringes patents Moderna filed between 2010 and 2016 for its messenger RNA or mRNA expertise.
All three corporations’ COVID-19 vaccines used mRNA expertise which is a brand new strategy to make vaccines. Up to now, vaccines had been usually made utilizing components of a virus, or inactivated virus, to stimulate an immune response. With mRNA expertise, the vaccine makes use of messenger RNA created in a lab to ship genetic directions that educate our cells to make a protein or a part of a protein that triggers an immune response.
In October 2020, Moderna pledged to not implement its COVID-19 associated patents whereas the pandemic was ongoing, in keeping with an announcement from the corporate. In March this yr, it mentioned it would stick with its dedication to not implement its COVID-19 associated patents in low and middle-income international locations, however expects rival corporations like Pfizer to respect its mental property.
Moderna shouldn’t be looking for to take away the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine from the market, however is looking for financial damages.
Moderna is submitting the lawsuits towards Pfizer and BioNTech within the U.S. District Courtroom in Massachusetts and the Regional Courtroom of Düsseldorf in Germany.
A Pfizer spokesperson mentioned in an announcement the corporate has not but totally reviewed the grievance however it’s “assured in our mental property supporting the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and can vigorously defend towards the allegations of the lawsuit.”
