BioNTech Completes Acquisition of CureVac N.V., Including Follow-on Offering Period, to Bolster Its Leading Position in the mRNA Space
BioNTech SE today announced the closing of its acquisition of CureVac N.V and that the subsequent offering period of the exchange offer for all outstanding shares of CureVac expired today at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time. With the successful acquisition, BioNTech intends to further complement its capabilities and proprietary technologies in mRNA design, delivery formulations, and mRNA manufacturing. The acquisition builds on BioNTech’s proven track record and established position in the global mRNA industry and supports the execution of the Company’s oncology strategy which focuses on two pan-tumor programs: mRNA-based cancer immunotherapy candidates, and pumitamig (BNT327/BMS986545), a bispecific antibody candidate targeting PD-L1 and VEGF-A, which is being jointly developed with Bristol Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY, “BMS”).
“I want to thank everyone who helped make this transaction a success. It deepens our mRNA technology platform and offers potential to expand the ways we can develop mRNA as a new therapeutic drug class,” said Prof. Ugur Sahin, M.D., CEO and Co-Founder of BioNTech. “With an approved mRNA product and multiple late-stage programs spanning distinct mechanisms of action, we are advancing a new generation of medicines aimed at delivering meaningful benefits for patients.”
“With this acquisition, the pioneering efforts of two of Germany’s early mRNA firms are being brought together – a synergy of vision and technology. It is no coincidence that both originated in Germany, backed by dedicated long-term oriented family offices with an entrepreneurial spirit such as ATHOS KG and the dievini Hopp BioTech holding,” said Helmut Jeggle, Chairman of the BioNTech Supervisory Board. “This transaction has significant potential to contribute to the country’s innovation agenda to shape, not just follow, the next wave of innovation with global impact.”
Following the closing of the acquisition, Prof. Ugur Sahin, M.D., Sierk Poetting, Ph.D., and Ramón Zapata-Gomez will constitute the Management Board of CureVac SE as the former members of the CureVac SE Management Board voluntarily resigned from their positions. CureVac will maintain its existing organizational processes to ensure a seamless continuity of its business, while BioNTech will conclude the strategic, operational and scientific analyses required to define the future organizational and portfolio setup.
BioNTech was informed by Computershare Trust Company, N.A., the exchange agent for the Offer, that, as of the expiration time of the Subsequent Offering Period, a total of 195,341,219 CureVac shares, collectively representing approximately 86.75% of CureVac’s issued and outstanding shares, were validly tendered in the Offer. The Company expects to complete the compulsory acquisition of the remaining CureVac shares in January 2026 as part of the previously announced post-offer reorganization. CureVac shares will no longer be available for trading following the post-offer reorganization.
About BioNTech
Biopharmaceutical New Technologies (BioNTech) is a global next generation immunotherapy company pioneering novel investigative therapies for cancer and other serious diseases. BioNTech exploits a wide array of computational discovery and therapeutic modalities with the intent of rapid development of novel biopharmaceuticals. Its diversified portfolio of oncology product candidates aiming to address the full continuum of cancer includes mRNA cancer immunotherapies, next-generation immunomodulators and targeted therapies such as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and innovative chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies.
Based on its deep expertise in mRNA development and in-house manufacturing capabilities, BioNTech and its collaborators are researching and developing multiple mRNA vaccine candidates for a range of infectious diseases alongside its diverse oncology pipeline. BioNTech has established a broad set of relationships with multiple global and specialized pharmaceutical collaborators, including Bristol Myers Squibb, Duality Biologics, Fosun Pharma, Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, Genmab, MediLink, OncoC4, Pfizer and Regeneron.
Source Link: https://investors.biontech.de/
