Clash of the titans: Moderna sues Pfizer, BioNTech for mRNA patent infringement

Moderna has filed patent infringement lawsuits in the U.S. and Germany accusing Pfizer and its partner BioNTech of stepping on patents that Moderna says it filed between 2010 and 2016. Pfizer and BioNTech have reeled in tens of billions of dollars with their world-leading COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty, so a win for Moderna in either case could be quite lucrative. Moderna is seeking to 'protect the innovative mRNA technology that we pioneered, invested billions of dollars into creating, and patented during the decade preceding the COVID-19 pandemic,' CEO Stéphane Bancel said in a statement. Moderna began working on the 'foundational' mRNA platform way back in 2010, he added, which enabled it to develop its coronavirus vaccine Spikevax in 'record time.'