BioTech IP Review

Coronavirus Vaccine Compositions

WO 2021213945 A1

  • Title: Coronavirus vaccine
  • Applicants: Pfizer Corp Belgium, BioNTech SE, Pfizer Corp SRL
  • Priority Date: April 22, 2020
  • Published: October 28, 2021 (international patent application)
  • Focus: Compositions of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines designed to produce high immune responses against SARS‑CoV‑2, the virus that causes COVID‑19.

What This Patent Is About

This international patent application covers:

💡 mRNA vaccine compositions

  • The invention describes specific mRNA formulations that encode viral antigens (e.g., the SARS‑CoV‑2 spike protein) designed to trigger a strong immune response.
  • It includes features relating to the constructs of mRNA sequences, their chemical modifications, and the resulting mRNA vaccine compositions that elicit robust levels of neutralizing antibodies post‑vaccination.
  • Examples include measurements of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody levels and methods aimed at maximizing immunogenicity following primary and booster doses.

📈 Intended use

  • Preventive vaccination against COVID‑19 by stimulating protective immunity through intramuscular administration of the mRNA vaccine.
  • Describes anticipated performance measures (e.g., geometric mean titers of neutralizing antibodies) that correlate with vaccine efficacy.

Why This Patent Is Important

1. Foundation for Comirnaty® COVID‑19 Vaccine
  • The technology claimed in this application aligns with Pfizer–BioNTech’s Comirnaty® mRNA vaccine, which was first authorized for emergency use and later fully approved in subsequent years.
  • Comirnaty became one of the highest‑revenue vaccine products in history, with global sales in the tens of billions of dollars through the pandemic and beyond.
2. Strategic Intellectual Property in mRNA Space
  • While the patent estate for mRNA vaccines is complex and shared between Pfizer and BioNTech anchor legal protections around vaccine composition and performance characteristics.
3. Central in Global Vaccine Innovation
  • mRNA‑based vaccine technology has rapidly expanded into other infectious diseases and therapeutic areas beyond COVID‑19, and foundational patents like this help secure a competitive foothold in the broader mRNA therapeutic space.

Summary

  • Patent: WO 2021213945 A1 – “Coronavirus vaccine”
  • Priority Date: April 22, 2020
  • Assignees: Pfizer Corp Belgium, BioNTech SE, Pfizer Corp SRL
  • Focus: mRNA vaccine compositions tailored for strong protective immunity against SARS‑CoV‑2.
  • Importance: Core to the intellectual property landscape underpinning Comirnaty® — Pfizer–BioNTech’s COVID‑19 vaccine that delivered massive global pandemic revenues and accelerated adoption of mRNA platforms.

Leave a comment