On August 26, 2022, the press released that Moderna is suing Pfizer and German partner BioNTech for infringing the patent for COVID-19 vaccine technology. According to Moderna, Pfizer and BioNTech copied their technology to make vaccines.

The key technology of the COVID-19 vaccine is the mRNA chemical modification that Moderna patented between 2010 and 2016, which helped the company quickly produce the vaccine for COVID-19. However, Moderna has accused Pfizer and BioNTech of copying their technology and continuing to use it unlawfully.

The spokeswoman for Pfizer, Pam Eisele, said they have not reviewed the lawsuit fully. She also added that they were surprised due to the fact that the vaccines were created based on the technology they developed proprietary. 

Jiyun Seo