BioNTech deep in the red as demand for vaccines falls

Lower global demand for the Covid-19 vaccine has cost BioNTech a loss running into the billions in the first half of 2026, reported dpa.

The German company made a net loss of €1.35 billion for the first six months, it announced on Tuesday. In the same period the previous year it had lost €802.4 million.

Demand for the vaccine is also being dampened by the fact that existing vaccine stocks in Germany can be used during the 2026 vaccination season.

BioNTech therefore also expects lower revenue for the whole of 2026. It now anticipates revenue of between €1.6 billion and €1.9 billion. As recently as March, it had forecast figures of between €2 billion and €2.3 billion.

In May, BioNTech announced that it would be closing three sites in Germany, and operations in Singapore are expected to cease in the first quarter of 2027.

Despite these figures, BioNTech believes it is on track with the development of new products, particularly in oncology. The pipeline in this area has made significant progress, said chief executive Uğur Şahin.

It was announced on Monday that co-founder Şahin will be succeeded at the helm of BioNTech by Guido Oelkers by early February next year at the latest. Oelkers is moving from the Swedish biopharmaceutical company Swedish Orphan Biovitrum (Sobi), which he has led since 2017. This will mark a significant turning point for the company.

In future, Şahin intends to focus on setting up a new company together with his wife, Özlem Türeci, although they plan to remain shareholders in BioNTech.