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Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine relies on messenger RNA technology that Moderna had developed and patented years ago, including a chemical modification that avoids prompting an undesirable immune response, Moderna said in lawsuits filed [on August 26, 2022].}}

Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine relies on messenger RNA technology that Moderna had developed and patented years ago, including a chemical modification that avoids prompting an undesirable immune response, Moderna said in lawsuits filed [on August 26, 2022].}}

Moderna alleges two central infringements on its patents by defendants: first, that Pfizer copied the same Moderna modification to mRNA that stablizes the molecule "long enough to program human cells to produce the crucial spike protein that triggers an immune response against Covid."<ref name="CNBC">https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/06/pfizer-rejects-moderna-claim-it-copied-covid-vaccine-accuses-rival-of-rewriting-history.html</ref>  Second, Moderna alleges that defendants use "the same full-length spike protein in its Covid shots. Moderna says it demonstrated a full spike produced an immune response in 2015 when it developed an mRNA vaccine against the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. That vaccine never went to market."<ref name="CNBC"/>

Moderna alleges two central infringements on its patents by defendants: first, that Pfizer copied the same Moderna modification to mRNA that stabilizes the molecule "long enough to program human cells to produce the crucial spike protein that triggers an immune response against Covid."<ref name="CNBC">https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/06/pfizer-rejects-moderna-claim-it-copied-covid-vaccine-accuses-rival-of-rewriting-history.html</ref>  Second, Moderna alleges that defendants use "the same full-length spike protein in its Covid shots. Moderna says it demonstrated a full spike produced an immune response in 2015 when it developed an mRNA vaccine against the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. That vaccine never went to market."<ref name="CNBC"/>

Pfizer and BioNTech countersued when they filed their answer to Moderna's lawsuit.  Moderna alleged that the rival mRNA vaccines are so similar that it constitutes a patent infringement due to mRNA and lipid nanoparticles in both of the vaccines.  Pfizer and BioNTech deny this and assert that their vaccine is “undeniably different” from Moderna's, by using a different mRNA structure and different lipids from Moderna's patented mRNA vaccine.

Pfizer and BioNTech countersued when they filed their answer to Moderna's lawsuit.  Moderna alleged that the rival mRNA vaccines are so similar that it constitutes a patent infringement due to mRNA and lipid nanoparticles in both of the vaccines.  Pfizer and BioNTech deny this and assert that their vaccine is “undeniably different” from Moderna's, by using a different mRNA structure and different lipids from Moderna's patented mRNA vaccine.

protein needed for a particular disease. This makes mRNA medicines a powerful tool that can be programmed to target specific diseases. However, before Moderna began its research, nobody had figured out how to make or use mRNA medicines successfully. ...<ref>Moderna Complaint Para. 42</ref></blockquote>

protein needed for a particular disease. This makes mRNA medicines a powerful tool that can be programmed to target specific diseases. However, before Moderna began its research, nobody had figured out how to make or use mRNA medicines successfully. ...<ref>Moderna Complaint Para. 42</ref></blockquote>

<blockquote>Along the way, Moderna encountered many technical challenges as it attempted to develop an entirely new way to treat and prevent disease. The problems that Moderna faced started with the mRNA itself. mRNA is an unstable molecule that is quickly destroyed inside the body. Moderna scientists had to develop novel ways to stabilize mRNA by modifying its chemical structure so that it could be used in vaccines and therapeutics. Moderna also optimized its mRNA platform to make it more effective at producing the proteins needed to fight and prevent disease. <ref>Moderna Complaint Para. 43</ref></blockquote> ...

<blockquote>Along the way, Moderna encountered many technical challenges as it attempted to develop an entirely new way to treat and prevent disease. The problems that Moderna faced started with the mRNA itself. mRNA is an unstable molecule that is quickly destroyed inside the body. Moderna scientists had to develop novel ways to stabilize mRNA by modifying its chemical structure so that it could be used in vaccines and therapeutics. Moderna also optimized its mRNA platform to make it more effective at producing the proteins needed to fight and prevent disease.<ref>Moderna Complaint Para. 43</ref></blockquote> ...

<blockquote>48. The genomic sequence for SARS-CoV-2 was first published on January 11, 2020, and, within a matter of days, Moderna took that information to create an mRNA sequence encoding for the virus’s spike protein. The first clinical batch of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine was manufactured on February 7, 2020—just four weeks after the genome sequence for SARS-CoV-2 was published. Moderna provided clinical samples to its partners at the NIH. Moderna and the NIH then worked together to conduct clinical trials of Moderna’s vaccine on an expedited basis.

<blockquote>48. The genomic sequence for SARS-CoV-2 was first published on January 11, 2020, and, within a matter of days, Moderna took that information to create an mRNA sequence encoding for the virus’s spike protein. The first clinical batch of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine was manufactured on February 7, 2020—just four weeks after the genome sequence for SARS-CoV-2 was published. Moderna provided clinical samples to its partners at the NIH. Moderna and the NIH then worked together to conduct clinical trials of Moderna’s vaccine on an expedited basis.

== References ==

== References ==

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[[category:coronavirus]]

[[Category:Coronavirus]]

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[[Category:Patents]]

[[category:vaccines]]

[[Category:Vaccines]]