By Aparajita Lath
Amid ongoing patent disputes over the mRNA platform, a significant scientific question remains unanswered: whether mRNA itself even is patent-eligible.
Tag: biontech
Unlocking the mRNA Platform Technology: Walking the Talk with Investment Protection
By Aparajita Lath
Two articles published last month in the BMJ analyze the public investment and financing of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, highlighting the extensive government funding that has supported the development of mRNA technology from 1985 to 2022.
However, rewards from these government investments are going back into the hands of pharma corporations and shareholders, with little thought given to public needs.
Together, these articles underscore the injustice of the present moment and emphasize the need to reform intellectual property protections for government-funded inventions of public health significance.
Biotech Companies Are Opening Manufacturing Sites in Africa: Will This Help Vaccine Equity?
By Sarah Gabriele
Two pharmaceutical giants of the pandemic, Moderna and BioNTech, are taking steps for increasing the manufacturing capacity for the COVID-19 vaccine in Africa. Last March, Moderna announced its plan to set up a manufacturing facility in Kenya to produce messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines, including COVID-19 shots. Similarly, in 2021, BioNTech started planning its own manufacturing plant in Africa, which will be composed of modular shipping containers.
Measures to address global vaccine inequity could not come sooner. As of December 15, 2022, only 34% of the population in Africa has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, with Moderna and BioNTech having provided fewer doses compared to Oxford-AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson. After failing to successfully deliver vaccines equitably during the first two years of the pandemic, Moderna and BioNTech appear now to be taking steps to shoulder greater responsibility for vaccine equity.
However, if companies are ethically required to address the availability of vaccines, these well-intended efforts might still fail to fulfill their moral obligations. Indeed, while the construction of these new sites might sound like great news for fostering the delivery of vaccines in low- and middle-income countries, we should be aware that these manufacturing sites, as well as the existence of manufacturing capacity, might not be enough to achieve desired outcomes.
COVID-19 Vaccine Patent Infringement? The Battle Between Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech Continues
By Aparajita Lath
Last month, the patent battle between COVID-19 mRNA vaccine manufacturers continued with BioNTech/Pfizer filing a strong defense and counter-claim to Moderna’s allegations of patent infringement.
In their initial August 2022 complaint, Moderna alleged that three of its mRNA patents were infringed by Pfizer/BioNTech. Interestingly, as of January 12, 2023, Moderna has listed 10 patents covering Spikevax (its mRNA vaccine) on its website. Since biotechnology inventions can be covered by several patents, each of which may not be easy to identify through public searches, the decision to publish a consolidated list of patents is a move in the right direction. However, the list is an evolving one, and, as it happens, one of three patents at issue, i.e., patent no. 10,933,127 (‘127) has not been listed.
The following article explains the key patents at stake in the intellectual property dispute.
Challenges in COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout: Lessons from the UK
By Sravya Chary
Just over a week after the United Kingdom became the first Western country to authorize the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech for emergency use, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) followed suit on December 11, 2020.
This lag may prove beneficial. The United States can and should cautiously assess the United Kingdom’s vaccination strategy to avoid challenges that may impede its ability to control the virus.