(AOF) – Moderna will file a complaint against Pfizer and BioNTech for infringement of patents relating to its mRNA platform, the source of the Covid vaccines developed by the three parties. “This breakthrough technology was critical to the development of Moderna’s Covid-19 mRNA vaccine, Spikevax,” the company said in a statement. “Pfizer and BioNTech copied this technology, without Moderna’s permission, to manufacture Comirnaty,” the statement added.
Stephane Bancel, CEO of Moderna, said the company was looking to protect the technology that cost it billions of dollars in investments in the decade before the pandemic.
Moderna said in 2020 that it would not enforce its patents while the pandemic continued, but it has now updated its pledge.
Biotech will not pursue patents for vaccines used in the 92 low- and middle-income countries under the Gavi Covax Advance Market commitment, but expects Pfizer and BioNTech to now respect its intellectual property rights .