Founders exit to pursue next-gen mRNA. CEO Ugur Sahin and CMO Ozlem Tureci announced plans to establish an independent company focused on next-generation mRNA technologies by year-end 2026. “We together felt really the need to address that. By Ozlem and I, focusing on this chapter, on this type of endeavor to ensure that we can use basic technologies and basic IT that comes from BioNTech to build something completely new,” Sahin explained on the earnings call. CFO Ramon Zapata emphasized continuity: “There is no split of BioNTech’s core mRNA capabilities. Our strategy and pipeline remains unchanged. We retain COMIRNATY. We retain our mRNA oncology programs.” The supervisory board has initiated searches for successors with “strong experience in late-stage development and commercial execution.”
2026 guidance signals further vaccine erosion. Management projects 2026 total revenues of EUR2.0 billion to EUR2.3 billion, down from 2025’s EUR2.9 billion, driven by lower COMIRNATY sales in both U.S. and European markets. Adjusted R&D expenses are expected to rise to EUR2.2 billion-EUR2.5 billion as the company accelerates late-stage oncology programs including pumitamig, ADCs, and mRNA immunotherapies. Adjusted SG&A expenses are guided to EUR700 million-EUR800 million, reflecting commercial infrastructure build-out ahead of anticipated oncology launches. The company ended 2025 with EUR17.2 billion in cash and securities.
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