DUSSELDORF (Germany): German vaccine manufacturer Curevac is suing its competitor Biontech for damages, accusing the top Covid-19 vaccine maker of patent infringement, reported German news agency dpa.
The proceedings started on Tuesday before a regional court in the western German city of Dusseldorf.
Biontech made billions in sales with its Covid-19 vaccine during the pandemic years, while Curevac, after a hopeful start, failed to bring a vaccine to market in time.
Curevac, however, claims to have developed technologies that have been instrumental in developing safe and effective Covid-19 vaccines.
In July last year, Curevac had therefore filed a lawsuit against Biontech, demanding “fair compensation” for the infringement of a number of its intellectual property rights, which it said had been used by Biontech and Pfizer in the production of the vaccine.
The company did not initially name a specific sum.
Biontech rejects the accusations.
The company’s work is “original,” it said. Biontech emphasised that it would “vigorously defend itself against all allegations of patent infringement” immediately after the lawsuit became public.
The proceedings on Tuesday dealt with two patents and three utility models with which Curevac had protected its developments.
In four of the cases, the Dusseldorf Regional Court will announce a decision on September 28.
In the fifth case – a patent dispute – the Dusseldorf court first wants to await a decision by the German patent court, expected in mid-December. There, Biontech has applied for the controversial Curevac patent to be declared null and void. – BERNAMA-dpa
