Conflict in the pharmaceutical industry. Big companies dispute ownership of COVID vaccine technology

The pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline has sued Pfizer and BioNTech in a federal court in the state of Delaware (USA), accusing them of infringing GSK’s patents related to the messenger RNA technology used in the creation of vaccines against COVID-19, reports Reuters.

In the complaint, GSK alleges that the Comirnaty vaccine marketed by Pfizer and BioNTech infringed on the company’s patent rights for messenger RNA technology developed “more than a decade before” the emergence of COVID-19.

A Pfizer spokesman said the company is “confident in its position on Comirnaty” and plans to defend it “vigorously” against GSK’s claims. BioNTech representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit.

GlaxoSmithKline said its patents “provided the foundational technology used in Pfizer – BioNTech’s mRNA vaccines against COVID-19” and that it “is willing to license these patents on commercially reasonable terms that ensure continued patient access.” to vaccines.

The lawsuit adds to a longer series of high-stakes lawsuits involving Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna over rights arising from patents used in the creation of vaccines, including a lawsuit filed by Moderna against Pfizer in 2022.

Pfizer earned $11.2 billion last year from the sale of the Comirnaty vaccine, while Moderna earned $6.7 billion from the Spikevax vaccine. Sales of both vaccines are down significantly compared to 2022.

London-based GSK has sought unspecified damages from Pfizer and BioNTech, including a license fee for the patent. GSK claims that the technology by which the messenger RNA is transported into human cells began to be developed as early as 2008. GSK claims that it bought the rights to this invention in 2015 when it partially acquired the vaccine company Novartis.

GSK also sued Pfizer in 2023 over the technology used for the Abrysvo vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus. And in this case, Pfizer rejected GSK’s claims.