European Patent Office Rules Vaccine Developer CureVac's Amended Patent Valid, Stock Jumps

Core Points - The European Patent Office confirmed the validity of CureVac's European patent EP 3 708 668 B1, subject to amendments [1] - The opposition by BioNTech SE against the patent was largely dismissed, marking a significant development in the patent dispute between CureVac and BioNTech [2] - The Regional Court Düsseldorf will determine if the amended patent has been infringed, with an infringement hearing scheduled for July 1, 2025 [3] Patent Details - The patent EP 3 708 668 B1 relates to CureVac's split poly-A tail technology, which enhances medical efficacy by improving protein expression on mRNA constructs [3] - A previous lawsuit involving Acuitas Therapeutics and CureVac was settled regarding credit for inventions related to COVID-19 vaccines [3][4] - A German court invalidated a patent central to CureVac's lawsuit against BioNTech concerning compensation for the use of CureVac's intellectual property in the Comirnaty vaccine [5] Market Reaction - Following the news, CureVac's stock (CVAC) increased by 17.5%, reaching $3.29 in premarket trading [5]