Four years after suing Moderna over its Covid-19 vaccine, Arbutus Biopharma, which was formerly headquartered in Warminster, has secured a $190 million share of a $950 million settlement, writes John George for the Philadelphia Business Journal.

Filed together with Genevant Sciences in early 2022, the patent infringement lawsuit claimed that Moderna’s vaccine violated several U.S. patents owned or licensed by Arbutus and Genevant, including those related to lipid nanoparticle delivery technology that plays a key role in the vaccine’s design and efficacy.

The companies said Moderna agreed to pay the full $950 million in a single payment on or before July 8.

Moderna also agreed to pay an additional $1.3 billion if its argument that taxpayers should assume liability for the infringements under one of its government contracts is rejected by the appellate court.

If that happens, Arbutus, which is entitled to 20 percent of any patent infringement lawsuit settlement or awards under its licensing agreement with Genevant, will receive about $450 million before legal costs.

The vaccine, known as Spikevax, has generated roughly $46 billion in sales for Moderna since its launch in 2021. The settlement was reached shortly before a jury trial was scheduled to begin on March 9.

Read more about Arbutus Biopharma and the lawsuit settlement with Moderna over the Covid-19 vaccine in the Philadelphia Business Journal.

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