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Bayer Files Lawsuits Against COVID Vaccine Makers Over mRNA Patents. Bayer has sued major COVID-19 vaccine makers in US federal courts, alleging misuse of its patented mRNA technology. The lawsuits target Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna, accusing them of infringing technology originally developed by Monsanto in the 1980s. Bayer claims the companies copied methods designed to strengthen and stabilize messenger RNA, originally used to improve crop resistance, for use in COVID-19 vaccines. In a separate filing, Bayer also sued Johnson & Johnson in New Jersey, alleging its DNA-based vaccine manufacturing process infringed another Bayer patent. A Moderna spokesperson said the company is aware of the lawsuit and plans to defend itself, while Pfizer, BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson did not immediately comment. Bayer said it is seeking unspecified monetary damages but is not asking courts to block the continued production or sale of the vaccines. The cases add to a growing web of patent disputes surrounding COVID-19 shots, including an ongoing lawsuit filed by Moderna against Pfizer in 2022. Despite no longer selling COVID vaccines itself, Bayer argues its legacy agricultural research underpins key technologies later applied in vaccine development.
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