Pfizer, BioNTech win bid to invalidate CureVac’s UK COVID vaccine patents

LONDON (Reuters) -Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech on Tuesday won their attempt to invalidate two of rival CureVac’s patents at London’s High Court.

Pfizer and BioNTech had filed their lawsuit in September 2022 over patents relating to messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, which underpins Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine.

Tuesday’s ruling relates to the London leg of Pfizer, BioNTech and CureVac’s global legal battle, which also involves litigation in the United States and Germany.

Pfizer and BioNTech are separately involved in a case with Moderna over their rival COVID-19 vaccines.

The High Court ruled in that case in July that one of Moderna’s mRNA patents was valid and Pfizer and BioNTech’s Comirnaty vaccine had infringed it. Pfizer and BioNTech have been granted permission to appeal against that decision.

(Reporting by Sam Tobin; Editing by Sachin Ravikumar and Sarah Young)