Why Moderna Won’t Share Rights to the COVID-19 Vaccine with the Government That Paid for Its Development

November 22, 2021

(The Conversation) – A quiet monthslong legal fight between the U.S. National Institutes of Health and drugmaker Moderna over COVID-19 vaccine patents recently burst into public view. The outcome of the battle has important implications, not only for efforts to contain the pandemic but more broadly for drugs and vaccines that could be critical for future public health crises. I teach drug regulation and patent law at Saint Louis University’s Center for Health Law Studies. Moderna recently offered to share ownership of its main patent with the government to resolve the dispute. Whether or not this is enough to satisfy the government’s claims, I believe the dispute points to serious problems in the ways U.S. companies bring drugs and vaccines to market. (Read More)