Covid vaccine manufacturers start patent war. Company «Moderna» sued Pfizer and Biontec (BioNTech), and she has a chance to win the case against the largest pharmaceutical company in the world. Firms quarreled with the covid vaccine.
"Moderna" believes that Pfizer and Bayontek, who jointly created the Comirnaty vaccine, illegally used patents registered by back in 2010-2016.
The Open Secret
< p>“We are filing these lawsuits to protect the innovative mRNA technology platform we developed, invested billions of dollars in and patented during the decade leading up to the Covid-19 pandemic,” — substantiates his position the head of “Modern” Stéphane Bancel. Sounds like a common thing in business, but this is much more interesting.
Firstly, this is a postponed trial. In “Modern” knew from the beginning that competitors were using their technology in their vaccine.
“Modern” believes Pfizer and Biontec copied two key features of Moderna patented technologies that are critical to the success of mRNA vaccines, — approved in a press release from this company. When COVID-19 appeared "Pfizer" nor "Biontek" did the experience in development mRNA vaccines as Moderna and they consciously followed our leading example in the development of their own vaccine».
Further more & nbsp; funnier. It turns out that “Pfizer” and Biontek were conducting clinical trials of not just one vaccine, but four different candidate vaccines at once. They included their own technology, not borrowed from Moderna. But in the end, we decided to continue developing such vaccine, which has exactly the same chemical modification mRNA as and the modern vaccine "Spikevax". Thanks to this modification, patented by "Modern", it was possible to avoid an undesirable immune response when mRNA introduced into the body.
There is also a second important innovation, borrowed from the “Modern”: “Pfizer” created a vaccine ;appeared a few years before covid. It caused Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).
“Modern” writes directly that it was only thanks to all these developments that it was possible to create a vaccine against COVID-19 in record time. We remember that our Sputnik appeared just as quickly, and also only thanks to the previously developed vector platform using adenoviruses.
New rules of the game
Basic requirements of “Modern” more directed towards the future rather than the past. It does not claim monetary damages related to sales of Pfizer's vaccine in 92 poor countries under the so-called “Global COVID-19 Vaccine Access” (COVAX). she compensation for losses from sales "Pfizer" and in the event if the government is forced to responsibility for them (it is possible). Nor is it necessary to ban the production of the “Comirnaty” vaccine in the future. But here's where it needs to go on. There are no problems with the provision of a vaccine in the world now, and the old rules, when during the acute phase of the pandemic in 2020, Moderna undertook not to prohibit the use of its patents, passed. Since March of this "Modern" wants to benefit not only from his vaccine, but also from patents.
Moreover, in the near future they will be in great demand. Indeed, on the mRNA technological platform, it is possible to create not only new vaccines, but also drugs that can treat and prevent infectious diseases (influenza, HIV etc.), as well as autoimmune and cardiovascular diseases and rare forms cancer».
Rate the material