May 14 (Reuters) - Biotech company Alnylam

Pharmaceuticals ( ALNY ) conceded defeat for now in a lawsuit

against Pfizer ( PFE ) and BioNTech over technology

in their COVID-19 vaccine, asking a Delaware federal court on

Tuesday to enter a judgment that they did not infringe Alnylam's

patents.

Alnylam requested that the court end the case after U.S.

District Judge Colm Connolly interpreted the company's patents

in a way that would not cover Pfizer ( PFE ) and BioNTech's vaccine. The

company dropped a separate lawsuit over Moderna's ( MRNA ) COVID-19 shots

following a similar ruling favoring Moderna ( MRNA ) last year.

An Alnylam spokesperson said the company was evaluating its

options and may appeal. A BioNTech spokesperson said the filing

"confirms Pfizer's ( PFE ) and BioNTech's position that we do not

infringe any valid patents asserted by Alnylam."

Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Alnylam sued Pfizer ( PFE ) and

BioNTech in 2022, alleging their COVID-19 vaccines infringed

patents covering the use of its lipid nanoparticles (LNP) to

deliver genetic material into the body. Pfizer ( PFE ) and BioNTech

denied the allegations and argued the patents were invalid.

The lawsuit is one of several patent infringement cases

filed by biotech companies over technology used in the

blockbuster COVID-19 shots, which include an ongoing lawsuit

brought by Moderna ( MRNA ) against Pfizer ( PFE ) and BioNTech.

The case is Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc ( ALNY ) v. Pfizer Inc ( PFE ), U.S.

District Court for the District of Delaware, No. 1:22-cv-00336.

For Alnylam: Ethan Townsend, William Gaede, Sarah Columbia,

Sarah Fischer and Ian Brooks of McDermott Will & Emery

For Pfizer ( PFE ): Arthur Connolly and Alan Silverstein of Connolly

Gallagher

For BioNTech: Jeremy Tigan and Anthony Raucci of Morris

Nichols Arsht & Tunnel

Read more:

Alnylam files patent infringement lawsuits against Pfizer ( PFE ),

Moderna ( MRNA )

Moderna ( MRNA ) fends off Alnylam US patent lawsuit over COVID

shots, for now

(Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington)