Korean Biotech Titan SK bioscience Shatters Pfizer's Grip in Vaccine Patent Showdown!
- South Korea's SK bioscience scores monumental Supreme Court victory against pharmaceutical giant Pfizer over its pneumococcal vaccine.
- The ruling unleashes SK bioscience to export vital vaccine components globally, despite ongoing domestic sales restrictions.
- This triumph follows another major win: invalidating Moderna's key mRNA patent in Korea.
In a seismic decision reverberating through the global pharmaceutical landscape, South Korea's Supreme Court has handed SK bioscience a landmark victory in its protracted patent infringement war with behemoth Pfizer over a critical pneumococcal vaccine1, 3, 5, 7. The ruling declared that SK bioscience's export of individual conjugate bulk substances for its 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13), SKYPneumo, and research-use finished products did not infringe upon Pfizer’s patent for its blockbuster Prevnar 13.
This verdict overturns years of legal battles, where Pfizer alleged SK bioscience's innovative vaccine, first developed in 2016, stepped on its patent rights1, 7. While domestic manufacturing and sales of SKYPneumo remain on hold until 2027 due to earlier patent terms, this ruling throws open the doors for SK bioscience to export crucial vaccine components to nations in desperate need, particularly targeting markets in Southeast Asia and Latin America6, 7.
The court decisively stated that SK bioscience's individual conjugates fall outside Pfizer’s patent claims, and crucially, that producing vaccines for research purposes doesn't constitute infringement1, 5. This is a game-changer for the Korean innovator, which can now forge ahead with international partnerships and technology transfers.
"This latest court decision is meaningful," declared Jaeyong Ahn, CEO of SK bioscience, "in that it ensures a competitively developed vaccine in Korea does not go to waste but instead finds new opportunity."
Adding to this momentous win, SK bioscience also recently succeeded in invalidating Moderna’s sole registered mRNA manufacturing patent in South Korea, clearing a significant hurdle for domestic mRNA technology development3, 5. These twin victories position SK bioscience as a formidable force, ready to expand its global footprint in both traditional and next-generation vaccines, including a promising 21-valent pneumococcal vaccine being co-developed with Sanofi, now in Phase 3 trials5, 7. The fight was long, but SK bioscience has emerged stronger, poised to significantly impact global vaccine access.
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