Won't enforce Covid vaccine patents during pandemic, says Moderna

Holding a drug patent usually assures a company an extended period of exclusivity, and the profits that can come with having a market to itself

Moderna Inc. said it wouldn’t enforce its patents related to Covid-19 vaccines during the pandemic, in an effort to not deter other companies and researchers from making similar shots.
 

“While the pandemic continues, Moderna will not enforce our Covid-19 related patents against those making vaccines intended to combat the pandemic,” the company said in a statement on Thursday.
 

One of the front-runners in developing a Covid-19 vaccine, Moderna decided to make the declaration because investors had started noticing that the company has patents that might apply to other coronavirus vaccines, said Stephen Hoge, Moderna’s president, in an interview.
 

The move