BioNTech SE said it will decide by the end of September on the future of three production sites in Germany and Singapore facing potential closure, as the company restructures amid declining demand for its COVID-19 vaccines.
The sites under review include Idar-Oberstein and Marburg in Germany, as well as Singapore, alongside CureVac’s facilities in Germany and abroad. The measures could affect up to 1,860 jobs in total, with CureVac previously reporting about 820 positions at risk, primarily at its headquarters in Tübingen.
The company attributed the cuts to underutilized capacity, excess production, cost reductions and a strategic shift toward cancer medicines. Demand for the Mainz-based firm’s COVID-19 vaccine, which drove its global recognition during the pandemic, has since plummeted.
BioNTech is also exiting its subsidiary JPT Peptide Technologies GmbH, a provider of peptide-based research and development services. The Munich-based Dubag Group will acquire the entire workforce of roughly 130 employees, the company said.
BioNTech employs about 8,000 people worldwide. Ugur Sahin, a co-founder and long-time CEO, is departing the company. Guido Oelkers will take over as chairman by February 2025 at the latest. In the first half of 2024, the company reported a loss of €1.35 billion amid reduced COVID-19 vaccine demand.
