The U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware delivered a decisive ruling on July 30, 2025, entering a final judgment that Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine does not infringe any of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals' patents covering nanoparticle technology. This conclusion marks the end of a significant intellectual property dispute between two major pharmaceutical companies over vaccine delivery technology.
Court Rejects Alnylam's Patent Construction Arguments
The final judgment follows a series of legal setbacks for Alnylam, beginning with the court's April 28, 2025 order denying the company's motion for additional construction of the term "cationic lipid." The court noted that the parties had already disputed the meaning of this critical term, and importantly, the court had adopted the definition originally proposed by Alnylam itself.
In a notable rebuke, the court held that Alnylam was not entitled to additional construction because the company "is dissatisfied with its own proposed construction." This ruling effectively prevented Alnylam from attempting to redefine key patent terms after the court had already accepted their initial interpretation.
Alnylam Withdraws Opposition
Following the court's denial of their motion, Alnylam filed an unopposed motion withdrawing their opposition to Pfizer's motion for summary judgment. The company also sought to stay all pre-trial and trial deadlines, effectively signaling the end of their pursuit of the patent infringement claims.
This strategic withdrawal came after it became clear that Alnylam's legal position had been significantly weakened by the court's earlier rulings on patent construction.
Case Resolution and Implications
In accordance with the final judgment, the court dismissed all of Pfizer's affirmative defenses and counterclaims without prejudice. This dismissal allows Pfizer to potentially raise these defenses again in future litigation if necessary, though it suggests the company achieved its primary objective of avoiding infringement liability.
The ruling represents a significant victory for Pfizer in protecting its COVID-19 vaccine technology from patent challenges. For Alnylam, the decision underscores the importance of careful patent drafting and claim construction strategy in pharmaceutical intellectual property disputes.
