Pharma: Einstige Corona overfill Biontech slips into red numbers

Once billion-dollar wins, now millions of loss: the company Biontech, known for its Corona vaccine, has clearly slipped into the loss zone on the way to developing cancer medication and now wants to reduce jobs. The Mainz said that the reason for the red numbers were the high investments, especially in expensive clinical studies.

Further decline in sales expected – high investments

The bottom line was that a net loss of around 700 million euros was in 2024. This continues the development that started the business of the business with the COVID-19-VACZIN. In 2022, the profit was still around 9.4 billion euros, in 2023 it was only about 930 million – and now a loss of millions.

The sales also went down: after 3.8 billion euros in 2023, it was around 2.75 billion in 2024. For the current year, a little less revenue is expected – with 1.7 to 2.2 billion euros with further high expenses for research and development of 2.6 to 2.8 billion euros.

Job cuts in Marburg and Idar-Oberstein

What should the job cuts look like? Over three years by the end of 2027, 950 to 1350 full -time equivalents are to be less in Europe and North America. The dismantling should be designed socially acceptable. At the end of 2024, Biontech claimed to have around 7,200 employees globally, and around 70 percent had only come to the company in the past three years.

Due to the lower demand for Covid vaccine, the Marburg location will be affected, and 250 to 350 of currently 670 full-time equivalents are to be eliminated. MRNA production was once massively expanded for vaccin production. “There is no longer the need to this extent,” said head of the company and co -founder Ugur Sahin of the German Press Agency in Mainz.

Mainz headquarters are strengthened

A breakdown is also planned in Idar-Oberstein. There are currently 450 full -time positions, up to 150 fewer. In parallel to job cuts, staff should be set up in other places – a total of 800 to 1200 jobs are expected here. Mainz headquarters will be strengthened, where around 350 full -time equivalents alone are to be created in the current year.

“Mainz is still the headquarters, especially when it comes to developing mRNA,” said Sahin. “Many research and development areas, as well as project management, have their focus in Mainz.” Overall, locations should be further developed, towards the production of mRNA for oncology and for vaccines against infectious diseases. This has been running for a year and a half and should be intensified, especially in Marburg.

In 2026 the first market registration is to come

Biontech is working on the development of cancer therapies based on MRNA. Roughly speaking, the patient’s immune system is to be helped with the patient’s immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells based on certain characteristics.

In 2026, Biontech wants to get a first market approval. Mainz is comparatively far in developing preparations against bladder cancer and for the treatment of colon cancer. In the latter, important new studies are expected for the end of this or beginning of next year. “But we look at 2030,” emphasized Sahin. Then several products should be on the market, such as many slopes from the further course of studies.

An active ingredient candidate is particularly hope

Biontech puts great hope in the treatment of cancer in late stages in an active ingredient candidate named BNT327. Among other things, it is intended to counteract the effects of tumors that suppress the body’s immune system. Lung cancer and breast cancer are in view, studies are also on large intestine and renal cell cancer and gynecological tumors.

Biontech had secured the worldwide rights to the active ingredient candidate with the takeover of the Chinese company BioTheus. According to Biontech, a total of six studies run in the last phase 3, five of them with BNT327. “If the other studies are successful, they will be the basis for the first approvals,” said Sahin. BNT327 can be used alone for some types of cancer, but the focus is on combinations with other medication – chemotherapy or other own therapies.

Sahin: “There is no guarantee”

Since competitors are also in the development of candidates for active ingredients, it is important to start further studies immediately, Sahin emphasized. Cancer studies could hardly be accelerated, usually needed three to five years. In this respect, good preparatory work is needed in advance, such as data from compatibility and optimal dosage.

With a view to BNT327, Sahin said: “Even if we estimate the likelihood of success as high, there is no guarantee.” That is why a portfolio with different drug candidates is important.