As part of its lawsuit against Moderna Inc, Arbutus Biopharma Corp said on Monday that it had sought damages for infringement of its COVID-19 patent.
Patents belonging to Arbutus Biopharma that were licensed to Genevant Sciences were rejected by an appeals court last December, prompting Moderna’s lawsuit against Arbutus Biopharma.
Accordingly, the court upheld the findings of an administrative panel when it ruled that Arbutus’ patents, which may cover technology used in vaccines, were valid because the science associated with these vaccines was not previously known
Roivant Sciences owns around 80% of Genevant, while Arbutus holds the remaining stake. Genevant Sciences was founded by Arbutus and Roivant Sciences Ltd. in 2018.
In a statement, Arbutus Chief Executive Officer William Collier said Arbutus and Genevant do not intend to interfere with Moderna’s sale, manufacture, or distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine could not be successful without our patented technology, which was developed through great effort and at great expense, and without which our patented technology could not have been developed. However, Moderna may use our patented technology, but we want fair compensation.
