After Moderna last year suffered a loss in its heated patent fight against Pfizer and BioNTech, the mRNA drugmaker can now celebrate a win.
The European Patent Office (EPO) has opted to maintain the validity of one of Moderna’s key patents in the high-stakes dispute, which is currently playing out in Europe and beyond. The EPO ruling was delivered in a Thursday oral verdict, the Financial Times first reported.
The patent in question, referred to as the ‘949 patent, describes “ribonucleic acids containing n1-methyl-pseudouracils" and their potential uses. According to its listing with the EPO, the patent's challengers include Sanofi and GSK as well as partners Pfizer and BioNTech.