<p>Moderna said Friday it is suing rival vaccine makers Pfizer and BioNTech, alleging the partners infringed on its patents in developing their Covid-19 shot that has been administered to hundreds of millions around the world.</p>.<p>The lawsuits filed both in US district court in Massachusetts, and in regional court in Dusseldorf, Germany, set up a showdown between the leading manufacturers of Covid-19 shots that are a key tool in the fight against the disease.</p>.<p>"Moderna believes that Pfizer and BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine Comirnaty infringes patents Moderna filed between 2010 and 2016 covering Moderna's foundational mRNA technology," the company said in a statement.</p>.<p>"This groundbreaking technology was critical to the development of Moderna's own mRNA Covid-19 vaccine, Spikevax. Pfizer and BioNTech copied this technology, without Moderna's permission, to make Comirnaty," Moderna added.</p>.<p>The mRNA technology used in the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech shots differs from that in traditional vaccines, which rely on injecting weakened or dead forms of a virus to allow the immune system to recognize it and build antibodies.</p>.<p>Instead, mRNA vaccines deliver instructions to cells to build a harmless piece of the spike protein found on the surface of the virus that causes Covid-19. After creating this spike protein, cells can recognize and fight the real virus.</p>.<p>The vaccines have repeatedly been the subject of inaccurate claims that they are dangerous, but health authorities say they are both safe and effective.</p>
<p>Moderna said Friday it is suing rival vaccine makers Pfizer and BioNTech, alleging the partners infringed on its patents in developing their Covid-19 shot that has been administered to hundreds of millions around the world.</p>.<p>The lawsuits filed both in US district court in Massachusetts, and in regional court in Dusseldorf, Germany, set up a showdown between the leading manufacturers of Covid-19 shots that are a key tool in the fight against the disease.</p>.<p>"Moderna believes that Pfizer and BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine Comirnaty infringes patents Moderna filed between 2010 and 2016 covering Moderna's foundational mRNA technology," the company said in a statement.</p>.<p>"This groundbreaking technology was critical to the development of Moderna's own mRNA Covid-19 vaccine, Spikevax. Pfizer and BioNTech copied this technology, without Moderna's permission, to make Comirnaty," Moderna added.</p>.<p>The mRNA technology used in the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech shots differs from that in traditional vaccines, which rely on injecting weakened or dead forms of a virus to allow the immune system to recognize it and build antibodies.</p>.<p>Instead, mRNA vaccines deliver instructions to cells to build a harmless piece of the spike protein found on the surface of the virus that causes Covid-19. After creating this spike protein, cells can recognize and fight the real virus.</p>.<p>The vaccines have repeatedly been the subject of inaccurate claims that they are dangerous, but health authorities say they are both safe and effective.</p>