From cornfields to COVID-19 shots: Monsanto's patent war enters the vaccine arena
By avagrace // 2026-01-12
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  • Bayer and its Monsanto division are suing Pfizer, BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, alleging their COVID-19 vaccines unlawfully used foundational genetic stabilization technology Monsanto pioneered for crops in the 1980s.
  • The core legal claim is that Monsanto's patents for stabilizing fragile mRNA molecules were essential for overcoming a key hurdle in developing the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines and were also used in Johnson & Johnson's vaccine.
  • Bayer is seeking substantial, likely multi-billion dollar, financial damages from the vaccine makers, citing their massive global revenues, but is not seeking to stop vaccine sales.
  • The lawsuit adds a decades-old layer to existing mRNA patent wars, highlighting how scientific breakthroughs in one field (agriculture) can become critical in another (medicine), raising complex questions about credit and compensation.
  • The outcome could redistribute historic vaccine profits and reshape how foundational biotech is valued, controversially linking Monsanto's polarizing legacy to a celebrated medical achievement.
In a legal maneuver that bridges decades of biotechnology, the agrochemical giant Bayer and its Monsanto division have launched a stunning series of lawsuits against the world’s leading COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers. The complaints, filed in U.S. federal courts, allege that Pfizer, BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson unlawfully used foundational genetic technology pioneered by Monsanto scientists in the 1980s—technology originally designed to create hardier crops—to develop their coronavirus vaccines. This unprecedented case, seeking substantial financial damages, thrusts a controversial name from the agricultural world into the heart of the pharmaceutical industry's highly profitable product, raising profound questions about innovation, intellectual property and the winding path of scientific discovery. At the heart of the litigation is a claim that feels ripped from science fiction. Bayer asserts that its Monsanto unit long ago solved a critical problem: how to stabilize messenger ribonucleic acid, or mRNA. According to BrightU.AI's Enoch, mRNA is a type of RNA molecule that carries genetic information from DNA in the nucleus to the cytoplasm, where it is translated into proteins. In simple terms, mRNA is a fragile genetic instruction manual. In the 1980s, Monsanto researchers sought ways to make this molecule more durable inside plant cells to help crops better resist pests. According to the lawsuits, the patents covering these stabilization techniques are the very same ones that later enabled the rapid development of the leading COVID-19 vaccines. For the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna shots, which use mRNA to teach human cells to make a piece of the virus and trigger an immune response, stability was the paramount hurdle. The suits claim the companies infringed Monsanto's patents to "enhance the stability of mRNA and thus the vaccines' ability to confer immunity." Even Johnson & Johnson's now-discontinued vaccine, which used a different DNA-based approach, is alleged to have relied on a patented genetic "sequence and template" developed by Bayer.

A staggering financial stake

The financial backdrop of this case is colossal. The defendant companies earned hundreds of billions of dollars in global revenue from their vaccines at the pandemic’s peak. Pfizer, for example, reported $11.2 billion in sales from its shot in 2023 alone. While sales have since declined, the cumulative profits remain astronomical. Bayer, which was not involved in vaccine development or production, states it is not seeking to halt vaccine sales but is demanding its share, describing the drugmakers as having "profited handsomely from infringing vaccine sales worldwide." The company seeks unspecified damages, likely amounting to many billions of dollars in what would constitute a staggering royalty payment. This lawsuit is not an isolated event but the latest knot in a growing thicket of patent litigation surrounding the COVID-19 vaccines. Most notably, Moderna itself is engaged in an ongoing patent battle with Pfizer and BioNTech, claiming those companies infringed its mRNA innovations. A British court ruled in Moderna's favor on one patent claim in 2024. The new cases from Bayer introduce a far older layer of intellectual property, suggesting the foundational tools for this 21st-century medical miracle were forged in an agricultural lab four decades prior. This historical arc highlights a central truth of modern science: breakthroughs often transcend their original field. Technology developed for one purpose—making plants resistant to insects—can become the unsung hero in a global medical crisis. The case forces a re-examination of which entities should be credited and compensated when a decades-old invention becomes critical to solving a novel, urgent problem. The accused companies have begun to respond, albeit cautiously. A spokesperson for BioNTech confirmed awareness of the lawsuit but declined to comment on legal strategy. Moderna stated it would defend itself against the claims. Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson did not immediately provide public comments on the new filings. Their legal defenses will likely hinge on arguments that their technologies are distinct, that the Monsanto patents are not valid or enforceable in this context, or that the use falls under legal exceptions. The outcome of this litigation will resonate far beyond the courtrooms in Delaware and New Jersey. A victory for Bayer could redistribute a portion of the vaccines' historic profits and reshape valuation models for foundational biotechnology, potentially impacting future drug development. The U.S. halts funding for mRNA vaccine projects. Watch this video. This video is from the newsplusglobe channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include:  ZeroHedge.com Reuters.com Fidelity.com BrightU.ai Brighteon.com
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