BioNTech’s Founders Take the mRNA Helm as Cancer Pivot Deepens Losses
Veröffentlicht: 06.05.2026 um 16:01 Uhr, Redaktion boerse-global.de
The architects of the world’s first approved mRNA vaccine are stepping back from the day-to-day fray at BioNTech to launch a standalone venture. Professors Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci will lead a newly created, independent company dedicated entirely to advancing mRNA technology, with BioNTech transferring specific intellectual property and licensing rights to the entity. The formal terms of the separation are expected to be hammered out later this year, marking a clear organisational divorce between the company’s pandemic-era legacy and its oncology-focused future.
That future is costing a pretty penny. BioNTech’s first-quarter revenue slumped to €118 million, down roughly 35% from €183 million a year earlier, as COVID vaccine sales nearly halved to just €67 million. The slide in top-line income pushed the net loss to €532 million, widening from €416 million in the same period last year. Research and development spending, the engine of the cancer pivot, surged to €557 million, fuelled by the integration of acquisitions in China and assets picked up from CureVac.
The financial bleeding has triggered a sweeping cost-cutting drive. BioNTech will shutter sites in Idar-Oberstein, Marburg, Tübingen and Singapore by the end of next year, eliminating around 1,860 jobs. The company is exploring sales of those facilities and expects the restructuring to deliver annual savings of roughly €500 million from 2029 onwards. Production of the COVID vaccine will be handed over entirely to partner Pfizer by year-end.
Should investors sell immediately? Or is it worth buying BioNTech?
At the heart of the oncology push sits Pumitamig (BNT327), a bispecific antibody being developed as a backbone for new immuno-oncology combinations. BioNTech kicked off five new registration studies for the drug in the first quarter alone, targeting triple-negative breast cancer, gastric cancer and colorectal cancer. The market will get its first major readout at the ASCO conference in late May, where Phase 2 data from multiple trials are expected. Investors will also be watching for updates on the antibody-drug conjugate portfolio, including Trastuzumab Pamirtecan — the data points that will either validate or undermine the credibility of the strategic shift.
Not everything is going to plan. Pfizer and BioNTech pulled the plug on a US study of their COVID vaccine after failing to recruit enough older adult participants. The setback is a reminder that even as the company pivots, the remnants of the pandemic business still carry operational risk.
Despite the red ink, management is holding firm on its full-year revenue forecast of €2.0 billion to €2.3 billion, even as vaccine demand continues to wane in the US and Europe. A hefty €16.8 billion cash and securities pile provides a comfortable cushion, and the board has authorised a share buyback programme of up to $1 billion to signal confidence.
The stock market remains unconvinced for now. BioNTech shares fell around 3% to €79 on the day of the announcement, leaving them nearly 10% below their 200-day moving average. Whether the ASCO data later this month can reverse that trajectory depends entirely on how convincing the Pumitamig results turn out to be.
Ad
BioNTech Stock: New Analysis - 6 May
Fresh BioNTech information released. What's the impact for investors? Our latest independent report examines recent figures and market trends.
Disclaimer zu unseren Artikeln: Keine Anlageberatung, keine Kauf oder Verkaufsempfehlung. Angaben zu Kursen, Unternehmen und Märkten ohne Gewähr; Änderungen jederzeit möglich. Börsengeschäfte können zu hohen Verlusten führen. Unsere Beiträge werden ganz oder teilweise automatisiert mit Unterstützung von AI erstellt und geprüft.
