Genentech and BioNTech Collaborate on Cancer Therapies

Genentech and BioNTech entered into a strategic collaboration to develop messenger RNA (mRNA)-based individualized cancer vaccines. The collaboration will combine Genentech’s cancer immunotherapy portfolio and research program with BioNTech’s proprietary mRNA cancer vaccine technology platform and personalized medicine expertise.

Together, the two companies will develop individually tailored cancer immunotherapies against a broad range of cancers to potentially provide a new treatment paradigm for cancer patients. The collaboration will focus on the development of mRNA cancer vaccines targeting neoantigens, based upon BioNTech’s Individualized Vaccines Against Cancer (IVAC) MUTANOME clinical platform for the potential treatment of multiple cancers. Initial clinical development will focus on combination studies using IVAC MUTANOME in a variety of cancer types.

Under the terms of the agreement, Genentech will pay BioNTech $310 million in upfront and near-term milestone payments. The two companies will equally share all development costs and any potential profits for certain programs under the agreement. BioNTech has the right to co-promote certain products that arise from the agreement in the United States and certain countries, including Germany and other major European markets. Under certain circumstances, BioNTech may have sole commercialization rights for other products that Genentech elects not to commercialize. BioNTech will manufacture mRNA cancer vaccines for clinical studies. Genentech will manufacture mRNA cancer vaccines for commercial supply and BioNTech will have the right to manufacture commercial product as part of the global supply network.

Source: BioNTech