BioNTech to Acquire Novartis GMP Facility for COVID-19 Vaccine Production

BioNTech, an immunotherapy company, announced on Sept. 17, 2020 that it has signed a share purchase agreement with Novartis to acquire its GMP certified manufacturing facility in Marburg, Germany, for additional COVID-19 vaccine production.

After the deals closes in the fourth quarter of 2020, the manufacturing site will produce up to 750 million doses per year, or more than 60 million doses per month, a BioNTech press release said. BioNTech plans to produce up to 250 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, BNT162b2, in the first half of 2021.

The manufacturing facility currently employs 300 people and is equipped for the production of recombinant proteins, cell and gene therapies, and viral vectors, the press release said.

“This acquisition reflects BioNTech’s commitment to significantly expanding its manufacturing capacity in order to supply a potential vaccine worldwide upon authorization or approval,” said Dr. Sierk Poetting, chief financial officer and chief operating officer at BioNTech, in the press release. “We are working closely with Novartis to prepare for a smooth transition, and we look forward to welcoming the new members of our team and tapping into their impressive skills and expertise. From a strategic standpoint, the new site will bolster our vertically integrated business model with in-house manufacturing capabilities for mRNA manufacturing as well as vaccine formulation.”

Source: BioNTech​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​