In 2020, Curevac was, next to Biontech, the second German hope in the race for a corona vaccine. In the end, as we know today, Biontech, along with the American company Pfizer, was way ahead. But now the biotechnology company from Tübingen is trying to win a victory over Biontech in court. The lawsuit alleges infringement of intellectual property rights.
Specifically, this concerns four patents. It should be clarified to what extent the respective patents have been used for the development of the Biontech vaccine, said Curevac chief Franz-Werner Haas. He did not disclose how much his company plans to do. This must be clarified in the process. The parties disagree on this after numerous discussions.
According to Curevac, it is not seeking a ban and has no plans to take legal action that could hinder the production, sale or distribution of the Biontech vaccine Comirnaty. After a promising start in mid-2021, Curevac has failed to bring a corona vaccine to the market and now wants to pioneer the development of a new second-generation vaccine together with its British partner GlaxoSmithKline. A clinical study of his new candidate was started at the end of March.
Curevac states that the company’s intellectual property protects several inventions considered essential to Biontech’s design and development of coronavirus vaccines. These relate, for example, to the production of mRNA molecules. Curevac supported the rapid development of vaccines as an early pioneer of mRNA technology. That is why people in Tübingen hope for ‘fair compensation’.
Biotech dismisses allegations
Biontech said the company’s work is “original and we will vigorously defend it against all allegations of patent infringement”. It is not uncommon for other pharmaceutical companies to now claim that the vaccine could infringe on their intellectual property rights.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
