UK Court of Appeal Confirms Moderna’s EP'949 Patent is Valid and Infringed by Pfizer/BioNTech
CAMBRIDGE, MA / ACCESS Newswire / August 1, 2025 / Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) today announced that the UK Court of Appeal has upheld the validity of Moderna's EP'949 patent.
This decision affirms the High Court's initial ruling from July 2024 that the EP'949 patent is valid and infringed by Pfizer/BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine, Comirnaty®, which was subsequently appealed by Pfizer/BioNTech. With this ruling, the UK becomes the first jurisdiction globally to issue a second-instance decision confirming the validity of one of Moderna's core mRNA patents. The High Court's finding of infringement was not disputed by Pfizer/BioNTech on appeal.
"Moderna is pleased that the Court of Appeal has upheld the High Court's finding that the EP'949 patent is valid and infringed by Pfizer/BioNTech," said Moderna Chief Legal Officer Shannon Thyme Klinger. "Moderna will continue to pursue and enforce its patent rights globally to protect its innovative mRNA technology."
Elsewhere in Europe, recent legal developments have further strengthened Moderna's intellectual property portfolio:
In Germany, the Regional Court found that Pfizer and BioNTech infringed Moderna's modified mRNA patent and confirmed Moderna's right to seek damages. An appeal is pending.
The European Patent Office (EPO) upheld the validity of EP'949 in opposition proceedings, further reinforcing the patent's strength. An appeal is pending.
European patent EP'949 relates to chemically modified mRNA, one of Moderna's foundational technologies that enables the development of mRNA-based medicines.
Market Data 
Markets 
AI
