Patent Infringement: Bayer files lawsuits against Covid-19 vaccine makers
German pharmaceutical and agrochemical group Bayer announced on Wednesday that it has filed lawsuits against several Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers for alleged patent infringement related to messenger RNA (mRNA) technology.
The German giant is targeting US-based pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Moderna, as well as Germany’s BioNTech, accusing them of using a patented technique designed to improve the stability of mRNA without obtaining a license.
“The unlicensed use of Bayer’s intellectual property allowed vaccine producers to overcome the instability of mRNA and solve one of the biggest challenges in vaccine development,” a Bayer spokesperson told AFP.
Bayer also confirmed that legal action is already underway against Johnson & Johnson, another major US vaccine manufacturer.
Although Bayer did not produce a Covid-19 vaccine itself, its US subsidiary Monsanto developed an mRNA-related technology in the 1980s for agricultural purposes, notably to make plants more resistant to insects and to enhance crop yields. Bayer argues that this technology forms the basis of the disputed patents now used in vaccine development.
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