The US biotech company Promosome sees its patents infringed by the billions of Corona vaccines sold by the manufacturers Moderna, Pfizer and BioNTech. The companies had failed to give Promosome what it deserved for the development of a groundbreaking technology, said Promosome's lawyer on Tuesday (local time) at the filing of a lawsuit in a federal court in San Diego.
The vaccine manufacturers have copied the technology developed by Promosome, which makes it possible to produce mRNA in such small doses that it can be used safely and effectively in the vaccines, the explanatory memorandum said. Promosome charges a share of the royalties. Moderna, Pfizer and BioNTech did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit.
Last year, the US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer earned 37.8 billion dollars with the corona vaccine Comirnaty, developed in partnership with the Mainz-based company Biontech. Moderna raised about $18.4 billion from its Spikevax vaccine. Promosome states in the lawsuit that it met with Moderna between 2013 and 2016 to discuss licensing its technology.
The U.S. company also demonstrated the technology to a senior BioNTech scientist in 2015. According to the San Diego and New York-based company, a license agreement has not been concluded with either manufacturer.
Moderna, Pfizer and BioNTech have denied infringement of other patents in the past.