U.S. pharmaceutical firm Moderna says it is suing rival drugmakers Pfizer and German partner BioNTech over the mRNA technology they use to make their COVID-19 vaccines.
Moderna is alleging patent infringement and says it filed lawsuits on Friday in the U.S. and Germany.
The firm says Pfizer and BioNTech copied what it calls “groundbreaking technology,” without its permission, to produce their vaccine.
Moderna says it isn't seeking to remove the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine from the market.
A Pfizer spokesperson told Reuters that the litigation took them by surprise and claimed their vaccine was based on proprietary mRNA technology created by BioNTech.
.◆ pharmaceutical firm 製薬会社 relating to the production of drugs and medicines
Moderna is alleging patent infringement and says it filed lawsuits on Friday in the U.S. and Germany.
The firm says Pfizer and BioNTech copied what it calls “groundbreaking technology,” without its permission, to produce their vaccine.
Moderna says it isn't seeking to remove the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine from the market.
A Pfizer spokesperson told Reuters that the litigation took them by surprise and claimed their vaccine was based on proprietary mRNA technology created by BioNTech.
.◆ pharmaceutical firm 製薬会社 relating to the production of drugs and medicines
◆patent infringement 特許（権）の侵害 to do something that is against a law or someone’s legal rights
◆file lawsuit 訴訟を起こす
◆groundbreaking 革新的な、画期的な groundbreaking work involves making new discoveries, using new methods etc
◆litigation 訴訟 law the process of taking claims to a court of law
◆proprietary 独占的に所有する、（特許権などで守られていて）独占所有権のある 独占的に所有する、（特許権などで守られていて）独占所有権のある especially British English a proprietary product is one that is sold under a trade name OPP generic