Arbutus Biopharma Faces EPO Revocation in Moderna Dispute

Arbutus Biopharma ( (ABUS) ) has issued an update.

On January 15, 2026, the European Patent Office’s Board of Appeal verbally revoked Arbutus Biopharma’s European patent EP 2279254 following opposition proceedings initiated in 2018 by affiliates of Moderna and Merck, overturning earlier decisions that had upheld an amended version of the patent. Arbutus, which plans to seek review by the EPO’s Enlarged Board of Appeal once a written decision is issued, indicated that the ruling is likely to affect its and licensee Genevant Sciences’ ongoing patent actions against Moderna in Switzerland and one of two cases before the Unified Patent Court, but emphasized that the decision—based on an EPO-specific “added matter” standard—should not impact the timing or potential outcome of its other ongoing infringement suits against Moderna in the United States, Japan, Canada, and another UPC case not involving the revoked patent, nor its U.S. litigation against Pfizer and BioNTech.

The most recent analyst rating on (ABUS) stock is a Hold with a $4.50 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Arbutus Biopharma stock, see the ABUS Stock Forecast page.

Spark’s Take on ABUS Stock

According to Spark, TipRanks’ AI Analyst, ABUS is a Neutral.

Arbutus Biopharma’s overall stock score is primarily impacted by its poor financial performance, with significant losses and cash flow challenges. While technical indicators show some strength, the negative valuation metrics and ongoing legal proceedings present risks. Positive developments in clinical trials offer potential upside.

To see Spark’s full report on ABUS stock, click here.

More about Arbutus Biopharma

Arbutus Biopharma Corporation is a biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing therapies, including through intellectual property related to lipid nanoparticle and other technologies, which it protects and monetizes via a global patent portfolio and licensing arrangements.

Average Trading Volume: 1,128,653

Technical Sentiment Signal: Buy

Current Market Cap: $919.3M

Find detailed analytics on ABUS stock on TipRanks’ Stock Analysis page.