Update on First BioNTainer for African-based mRNA Manufacturing Facility
BioNTech SE (Nasdaq: BNTX) has made significant progress in establishing scalable mRNA vaccine production in Africa. The first BioNTainer's six ISO-sized shipping containers are ready for shipment to Kigali, Rwanda, expected by Q1 2023. Concurrently, the company is constructing a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Kigali, which aims to serve as a hub for decentralized vaccine production across Africa. Furthermore, BioNTech is advancing mRNA vaccine candidates targeting malaria and tuberculosis, anticipated to enter human trials by early 2023.
- Shipping of BioNTainer to Rwanda signals strong commitment to local vaccine production.
- Construction of a manufacturing facility in Kigali to enhance supply chain resilience in Africa.
- Development of mRNA vaccines for malaria and tuberculosis supports public health initiatives.
- Potential delays in operations due to global supply chain issues.
- Uncertain regulatory hurdles regarding the establishment of manufacturing facilities in Africa.
MAINZ, GERMANY, December 21, 2022 — BioNTech SE (Nasdaq: BNTX, “BioNTech”) reached the next milestone in the establishment of scalable mRNA vaccine production in Africa. The six ISO-sized shipping containers for the first BioNTainer have finished construction in Europe, underwent quality checks by BioNTech experts and are being prepared for shipment to Kigali, Rwanda, where they are expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2023. Media material from the preparation is now available here.
In parallel, BioNTech continues to develop and build its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Kigali, Rwanda, following the groundbreaking in June 2022. The facility will be housing the first BioNTainers and is expected to become a node in a decentralized and robust end-to-end manufacturing network in Africa. BioNTech also expects to ship BioNTainers to Senegal and potentially South Africa in close coordination with each respective country and the African Union. Vaccines to be manufactured in this Africa-wide network will be dedicated to people residing in member states of the African Union, with the aim to support access to novel medicines.
In addition, BioNTech is advancing mRNA-based vaccine candidates to address malaria and tuberculosis, based on the company’s mRNA platform. The vaccine candidates are expected to enter first-in-human trials in late 2022 or early 2023.
About BioNTech
Biopharmaceutical New Technologies is a next generation immunotherapy company pioneering novel therapies for cancer and other serious diseases. The Company exploits a wide array of computational discovery and therapeutic drug platforms for the rapid development of novel biopharmaceuticals. Its broad portfolio of oncology product candidates includes individualized and off-the-shelf mRNA-based therapies, innovative chimeric antigen receptor T cells, bi-specific checkpoint immuno-modulators, targeted cancer antibodies and small molecules. Based on its deep expertise in mRNA vaccine development and in-house manufacturing capabilities, BioNTech and its collaborators are developing multiple mRNA vaccine candidates for a range of infectious diseases alongside its diverse oncology pipeline. BioNTech has established a broad set of relationships with multiple global pharmaceutical collaborators, including Genmab, Sanofi, Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, Regeneron, Genevant, Fosun Pharma, and Pfizer.
For more information, please visit www.BioNTech.com.
Forward-looking statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may include, but may not be limited to, direct or indirect statements concerning: the ability of BioNTech to produce, deliver and install mRNA container manufacturing facilities for the African continent, including the ability to meet all necessary infrastructure, technology and regulatory requirements; potential delays in the establishment of the BioNTainers and BioNTech operations in Africa, due to unforeseen delays, including, but not limited to, global supply chain issues; the ability of BioNTech to reach an agreement with potential collaboration partners in Africa to establish an end-to-end manufacturing network in Africa; the development of quality assurance capabilities to remotely support manufacturing sites in Africa; the scale-up of local know-how and training in Africa; BioNTech’s malaria, tuberculosis and other infectious disease vaccine development programs; timing for selecting clinical candidates for these programs and the commencement of a clinical trial, as well as any data readouts; the nature of the collaboration with the African Union, the Africa CDC, and the WHO; the development of sustainable RNA vaccine capacities, production and supply solutions on the African continent and the nature, timing, and feasibility of these solutions; the potential safety and efficacy of the product candidates; and BioNTech’s anticipated market opportunity and size for its product candidates the rate and degree of market acceptance of BioNTech’s investigational medicines, if approved; BioNTech’s efforts to combat COVID-19; the collaboration between BioNTech and Pfizer to develop a COVID-19 vaccine (including qualitative assessments of available data, potential benefits, expectations for clinical trials, supply agreements and the timing of delivery of doses thereunder, efforts to help ensure global equitable access to the vaccine, the anticipated timing of regulatory submissions, regulatory approvals or authorizations and anticipated manufacturing, distribution and supply). Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on BioNTech current expectations and beliefs of future events, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: discussions with regulatory agencies regarding timing and requirements for additional clinical trials; and the ability to produce comparable clinical results in future clinical trials.
For a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, see BioNTech’s Quarterly Report as Form 6-K for the quarter ended September 30, 2022, filed with the SEC on November 7, 2022, which is available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and BioNTech undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.
CONTACTS
Investor Relations
Sylke Maas, Ph.D.
VP Investor Relations & Strategy
+49 (0)6131 9084 1074
Investors@biontech.de
Media Relations
Jasmina Alatovic
VP Corporate Communications
+49 (0)6131 9084 1513
Media@biontech.de
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