Mainz-based BioNTech, known for developing one of the first mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, has announced a major restructuring that will end its own COVID vaccine manufacturing and hand production to its US partner Pfizer. A company spokeswoman said ‘in the course of this year we will produce the last doses here in Germany.’
Sites scheduled for closure include facilities in Idar-Oberstein and Marburg in Germany, a plant in Singapore, and a Tübingen site the company acquired from rival CureVac in late 2025. BioNTech said the shutdowns should be completed by the end of 2027 and that it will explore options to sell the affected sites.
The company had previously planned to cut between 950 and 1,350 full-time roles over two years. With the expanded restructuring, BioNTech now says up to 1,860 jobs could be affected in total, although it has not specified how many reductions have already occurred.
BioNTech attributed the change to a marked decline in demand for COVID vaccines. Widespread use during the pandemic has given way to targeted vaccination, primarily for older people and other high-risk groups. As part of the retooling, BioNTech will retain its Mainz headquarters and keep office facilities in Berlin and Munich, shifting its focus mainly to research on cancer and other diseases.
Financially, the company reported first-quarter revenues of €118.1 million, down from €182.8 million in the same quarter of 2025. Net losses rose to €531.9 million, driven largely by increased research and development spending—most notably on an antibody called pumitamig, which BioNTech is evaluating in global phase 2 cancer trials.
Founders Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci announced in March that they were stepping down to start a new venture. Edited by: Alex Berry