LONDON, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Pfizer ( PFE ) and its German

partner BioNTech on Friday lost their bid to overturn

a ruling that their COVID-19 vaccine infringed one of Moderna's ( MRNA )

patents at London's Court of Appeal.

Last year, the High Court ruled that one of Moderna's ( MRNA )

patents relating to the messenger RNA (mRNA) technology which

underpinned its COVID-19 vaccine was valid and that Pfizer ( PFE ) and

BioNTech's Comirnaty vaccine had infringed it, meaning Moderna ( MRNA )

is entitled to damages in relation to sales after March 2022.

Pfizer ( PFE ) and Moderna ( MRNA ) had appealed to try to overturn that

decision, arguing Moderna's ( MRNA ) developments of mRNA technology were

obvious developments of previous work, rendering the patent

invalid.