Arbutus sues Pfizer and BioNTech over LNP patents in 3 countries

Arbutus Biopharma Corporation (NASDAQ: ABUS) and its exclusive licensee, Genevant Sciences GmbH, a subsidiary of Roivant Sciences Ltd. (NASDAQ: ROIV), filed three international patent infringement lawsuits against Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE over the use of lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology in their mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.

The cases were filed in the Federal Court of Canada and at the Unified Patent Court (UPC), with the UPC actions covering 19 European countries including Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. The suits seek permanent injunctions and monetary damages, including recovery of profits from alleged infringement of specific Canadian and European patents.

The international actions expand on an existing lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, where Arbutus and Genevant are already seeking compensation related to five U.S. patents.

Separately, Arbutus announced it received approximately $178 million from Moderna, Inc. on July 8, 2026, representing its share of a noncontingent payment under a settlement agreement reached in March 2026. The settlement resolves all global patent infringement litigation between the two companies related to Moderna's COVID-19 vaccines and includes reimbursement of litigation costs.

Arbutus also said it expects to receive a dividend from Genevant's parent company in the third quarter of 2026, tied to its approximately 16% ownership stake in the common equity of Genevant's parent.

The company announced plans to return up to approximately $230 million to shareholders through share repurchases, potentially via a tender offer, open market purchases, or other means. The repurchase program is subject to board approval and would not begin until after the anticipated dividend is received. The company cautioned that no assurance can be given that any repurchase activity will occur in Q3 2026 or at all.

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