Coronavirus Watch: Moderna sues Pfizer-BioNTech over vaccine patents

Did Pfizer and BioNTech copy Moderna's mRNA technology used in their COVID-19 vaccine?

That's what Moderna is claiming in a lawsuit over the vaccine Comirnaty, which Moderna says infringes on patents it filed related to mRNA technology.

A Pfizer spokesperson said the company was "surprised by the litigation" that its COVID-19 vaccine was based on BioNTech's proprietary mRNA technology. 

Read more from Adrianna Rodriguez here.

It's Monday, and this is Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network. Here's more news to know:

• A heads up: Beginning Sept. 2, the Biden administration will suspend taking orders for free at-home COVID-19 tests because of limited supply. Go to COVIDTests.gov to order free tests before then.
• Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic will not play in the U.S. Open, as expected, because he is not vaccinated against COVID-19 and thus is not allowed to travel to the U.S.
• A recent study from Pfizer showed its COVID-19 vaccine is effective at protecting children younger than 5, but pediatricians are still having a hard time persuading parents to vaccinate them.
• The U.S. Secret Service has recovered $286 million in fraudulently obtained pandemic loans and is returning the money to the Small Business Administration.

See our COVID-19 resource guide here. See total reported cases and deaths here. On vaccinations: About 79% of people in the U.S. have received at least one vaccine shot, and about 67% are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.

– Cady Stanton, Paste BN breaking news reporter, @cady_stanton