University of Pennsylvania sues BioNTech over vaccine royalties
Reuters reports that the University of Pennsylvania has sued the German biotechnology company BioNTech in federal court in Pennsylvania, accusing the company of underreporting licensing fees for patents covering the university's technology used in COVID-19 vaccines.
Reuters reports that the lawsuit's authors argue that BioNTech owes the university a larger portion of global vaccine sales, using a method developed by University of Pennsylvania professors and Nobel Prize laureates Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman.
The university sues the vaccine manufacturer
The agency adds that BioNTech did not respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit. A university spokesperson said the school "is seeking full royalty payments under patent licensing agreements that enabled BioNTech to develop its marketed COVID vaccine."
"The lawsuit said that BioNTech has only been paying royalties for shots "sold into" countries where the school owns a patent, but owes royalties for all vaccines "made" in countries where Penn has patents under their contract," Reuters reports.
The agency adds that the university has asked the court for monetary damages and an order compelling BioNTech to perform under the agreement.
Last year, the European Commission reached an agreement with BioNTech/Pfizer regarding COVID-19 vaccines. This includes reducing their deliveries and extending the period EU member states can receive them.
