On June 12, 2025, BioNTech SE (“BioNTech”) announced its entry into a definitive purchase agreement to acquire all shares of CureVac N.V. (“CureVac”), with an implied aggregate equity value for CureVac of approximately $1.25 billion. The acquisition “aims to strengthen the research, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of [BioNTech’s] investigational mRNA-based…
On February 3, 2025, BioNTech SE (“BioNTech”) confirmed the completion of its acquisition of biotechnology company Biotheus for an upfront payment of $800 million and up to $150 million in potential milestone payments. Biotheus will operate as an indirect Chinese subsidiary of BioNTech. Under the terms of the agreement, BioNTech…
As we previously reported, in April of last year, GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA and GlaxoSmithKline LLC brought a lawsuit against Pfizer and BioNTech in the District Court for the District of Delaware, alleging that the COVID-19 vaccine, Comirnaty®, infringed five of their U.S. patents directed to mRNA vaccine technology—specifically, U.S. Patent…
Last week, GlaxoSmithKline and Northwestern University filed separate lawsuits against Moderna, accusing its mRNA-based vaccines of patent infringement. GSK’s Lawsuits On October 15, 2024, GSK filed two complaints against Moderna in the District Court for the District of Delaware, asserting that Moderna willfully infringes GSK’s mRNA patent portfolio. In Civil…
On August 22, Moderna announced that FDA approved its supplemental Biologics License Application (“sBLA”) for a new formula of their COVID-19 vaccine, SPIKEVAX®, for individuals 12 years old and above. Emergency Use Authorization (“EUA”) was also granted for the updated vaccine for individuals aged 6 months to 11 years old….
Back in May 2023, Alnylam brought suit against Pfizer and BioNTech in the District of Delaware, alleging infringement of patents directed to vaccine lipid nanoparticle technology. On August 12, 2024, Chief Judge Connolly issued a memorandum opinion construing the claim term “vaccine” in one of the asserted patents (U.S. Patent…
Acuitas Therapeutics Inc. (“Acuitas”) filed a complaint (1-24-cv-00816) on July 12 against Alnylam Pharmaceutical Inc. (“Alnylam”) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, alleging incorrect inventorship of seven U.S. Patents related to COVID-19 mRNA-LNP vaccines, namely U.S. Patent Nos. 11,246,933 (“the ʼ933 patent”), 11,382,979 (“the ʼ979 patent”),…
Late last week, GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA and GlaxoSmithKline LLC filed suit in the District of Delaware alleging that Pfizer, Pharmacia & Upjohn, BioNtech SE, BioNtech Manufacturing GMBH, and BioNTech US, Inc. infringe five U.S. patents directed to mRNA vaccine technology. The Patents-In-Suit are U.S. Patent Nos. 11,638,693; 11,638,694; 11,666,534; 11,766,401;…
We previously reported on the litigation brought by ModernaTX, Inc. and Moderna US, Inc. (collectively, “Moderna”) against BioNTech SE, BioNTech Manufacturing GmbH, BioNTech US Inc. (collectively, “BioNTech”), and Pfizer Inc. (“Pfizer”) related to Moderna’s mRNA technology and the subsequent inter partes review (IPR) petitions filed by BioNTech and Pfizer. Those…
On December 19, a German court invalidated CureVac’s messenger RNA technology patent, EP 1 857 122 B1, in a lawsuit brought by CureVac against its rival BioNTech. CureVac, a biopharmaceutical company developing messenger RNA therapeutics for COVID-19 vaccines, announced that it will appeal the decision before the German Federal Court…