Moderna Sues Pfizer/BioNTech for Patent Infringement over COVID Vaccine

In this file photo taken on August 23, 2021, a vial of Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine is seen at a pop up vaccine clinic in the Arleta neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. (AFP)

Moderna sued Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech on Friday for patent infringement in the development of the first COVID-19 vaccine approved in the United States, alleging they copied technology that Moderna developed years before the pandemic.

Pfizer shares fell nearly 1%, while BioNTech US-listed shares were down about 1.5% and Moderna shares slipped 1.7% on Friday.