German Court Invalidates CureVac’s mRNA Vaccine Patent in Dispute with BioNTech, Impacting Stocks and Ongoing Litigations

Here’s what you need to know:

• A German court ruled against CureVac in a patent dispute with BioNTech regarding mRNA technology used in Covid-19 vaccines.
• If CureVac had won, it could have claimed a share of BioNTech’s vaccine revenues. However, CureVac’s stock value dropped by 25% following the court’s decision.
• Previously, in April, a preliminary opinion from the court had supported CureVac’s patent, but this was overturned in the latest ruling.
• CureVac was initially a key competitor in the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine race but fell behind after its vaccine failed in a crucial study. In contrast, in partnership with Pfizer, BioNTech has seen significant sales from their Covid-19 vaccine, Comirnaty.
• CureVac stated that this decision does not affect other ongoing legal battles in Germany, where it has seven more intellectual property rights claims against BioNTech. CureVac plans to appeal the decision.
• An analyst predicts the first half might know the appeal’s outcome in 2025.
• CureVac is also involved in several legal disputes with BioNTech in the United States and is currently collaborating with GSK to develop new mRNA vaccines for flu and COVID-19.

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[Source: Endpoints, December 19th, 2023]