By Blake Brittain

(Reuters) -British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:) sued Moderna (NASDAQ:) in U.S. federal court docket in Delaware on Tuesday, accusing it of violating GSK patent rights in messenger RNA know-how with its blockbuster COVID-19 vaccine Spikevax and RSV shot mResvia.

Based on the 2 lawsuits, Moderna’s lipid nanoparticles for transporting fragile mRNA into the human physique infringe a number of GSK patents protecting related improvements. GSK filed a associated lawsuit towards Pfizer (NYSE:) and BioNTech (NASDAQ:) in the identical court docket in April over their COVID-19 vaccine. The brand new litigation seeks unspecified financial damages.

A spokesperson for Massachusetts-based Moderna mentioned the corporate was conscious of the lawsuits and would defend itself towards the claims.

GSK is “keen to license these patents on commercially affordable phrases and to make sure continued affected person entry,” an organization spokesperson mentioned.

The lawsuits add to an online of U.S. court docket instances involving Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna over patent royalties for know-how used of their COVID vaccines, together with one introduced by Moderna towards Pfizer in 2022.

Moderna earned $6.7 billion in income from Spikevax final 12 months. Pfizer made $11.2 billion from gross sales of Comirnaty, the COVID vaccine it developed with German companion BioNTech. Gross sales of each vaccines declined considerably final 12 months from 2022.

GSK additionally sued Pfizer for patent infringement over its RSV shot Abrysvo final 12 months. The U.S. Meals and Drug Administration accepted Moderna’s RSV vaccine in Might.

GSK mentioned within the new instances that its patents cowl know-how pioneered in 2008 that gives “the muse for Moderna’s mRNA vaccine portfolio.” GSK mentioned it purchased the rights to the innovations when it acquired a part of Novartis (SIX:)’ vaccine enterprise in 2015.