Good morning! This is Jonathan Wosen, West Coast biotech and life sciences reporter, filling in for Ed Silverman while he’s away from the Pharmalot campus. There won’t be a newsletter this Thursday or Friday because of the Thanksgiving holiday. Speaking of which, if you wake up tomorrow and realize that your turkey hasn’t thawed, never fear, you can safely cook a fully or partially frozen turkey, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and my own experience; it just takes a little longer. With that public service announcement out of the way, here’s some news for you to peruse.
The European Patent Office has declared an mRNA patent owned by Moderna invalid, Reuters tells us. The announcement marks a win for Pfizer and BioNTech in their ongoing feud with Moderna over intellectual property at the heart of their Covid-19 vaccines. Moderna has said it disagrees with the decision and plans to file an appeal.
Longtime drug industry ally Anna Eshoo plans to retire, STAT tells us. During her 30-plus years in Congress, she earned a reputation as an advocate for pharma-friendly policies, and one of her key achievements was adding a provision to the Affordable Care Act that ensures biologics have 12 years of market exclusivity. But she did vote to support the Inflation Reduction Act, which allows Medicare to negotiate the price of certain drugs.
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