Pfizer, BioNTech win bid to invalidate CureVac’s UK COVID vaccine patents
Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech triumphed in their legal battle on Tuesday, successfully invalidating two patents held by rival CureVac in London’s High Court. The lawsuit, initiated in September 2022, centers around patents related to messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, which is essential for the development of Pfizer and BioNTech’s widely used COVID-19 vaccine, Comirnaty.
This ruling is part of a broader international legal dispute involving Pfizer, BioNTech, and CureVac, with ongoing litigation also taking place in the United States and Germany. The court’s decision further solidifies Pfizer and BioNTech’s position in the competitive mRNA vaccine landscape.
In a related legal matter, Pfizer and BioNTech are currently engaged in litigation with Moderna over their competing COVID-19 vaccines. Notably, in July, the High Court upheld one of Moderna’s mRNA patents as valid, determining that Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine had infringed it. The duo has since been granted permission to appeal this ruling.
As the legal battles unfold, the implications for the future of mRNA technology and vaccine development remain significant.
