Pharmaceutical company Moderna launched a suit against Pfizer and its partner BioNTech on Friday. The lawsuit alleges that the rival drug firms misused Moderna’s technology to develop their own coronavirus vaccine. Moderna and Pfizer are the companies that helped curb the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, developing their shots in record time.
Moderna’s Chief Legal Officer Shannon Thyme Klinger issued a statement on the suit.
“We believe that Pfizer and BioNTech unlawfully copied Moderna’s inventions and they have continued to use them without permission,” Klinger said. The company filed its suits in U.S District Court in Massachusetts as well as BioNTech’s home country Germany.
The legal battle marks a turning point in the competition between Pfizer, a pharma giant, and biotech startup Moderna. Moderna had never sold a product before receiving FDA emergency authorization for its coronavirus vaccine in 2020.
Patent lawsuits are common in the biotech industry. Most usually play out over a span of years before winding up in appeals courts. It could be up to five years before the dispute between the two companies is resolved.
Pfizer responds to Moderna’s lawsuit
Pfizer said Friday that it had not fully reviewed the suit, but are determined to defend against the allegations.
“We are surprised by the litigation given the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was based on BioNTech’s proprietary mRNA technology and developed by both BioNtech and Pfizer,” the drug giant said in an email. Pfizer also said that they will “vigorously defend against the allegations of the lawsuit.”
The two companies have made billions in vaccine sales. However, Moderna has said it isn’t seeking to halt the sale of Pfizer’s vaccine, recognizing its necessity in saving lives from coronavirus. The outcome of the suit could prove to be relevant to future use of the mRNA technology. The platform holds potential for future vaccines against diseases such as influenza and HIV.
Written by Olan Bryant