BioNTech Offloads Covid Vaccine Output to Pfizer as Moderna Opens New Patent Front in Hamburg

BioNTech is simultaneously dismantling the manufacturing network it built during the pandemic and defending that legacy in courtrooms on two continents. The Mainz-based group has confirmed it will hand off production of its Covid-19 vaccine entirely to US partner Pfizer, a move that coincides with fresh legal action from rival Moderna and a regulatory filing showing chief executive Ugur Sahin trimming his stake.

Three German Sites to Close, 1,860 Jobs at Risk

At the heart of the operational overhaul is the shutdown of BioNTech's facilities in Idar-Oberstein, Marburg and Tübingen. According to Reuters, the company had already tried and failed to find buyers for the three plants before deciding to close them. As many as 1,860 positions are affected.

With vaccine output shifting to Pfizer, BioNTech is exiting its own production capacity for the shot altogether. The decision has stirred significant unrest among staff, with the company's works council issuing a sharp rebuke of management's plans.

Moderna Takes mRNA Dispute to Hamburg

On the legal front, Moderna has filed suit against BioNTech and Pfizer at the Unified Patent Court, lodging a complaint with the Hamburg local division on Friday. The US biotech alleges infringement of patent EP 3 981 437, which covers nucleic acid vaccines.

Moderna is seeking damages on vaccine revenues dating back to the start of the pandemic, though reports indicate it is not asking for a sales ban on the Mainz group's products. The case marks the first major mRNA technology dispute to reach the Hamburg chamber of the European court system.

The action follows setbacks for Moderna in Europe. In mid-September, the European Patent Office's boards of appeal revoked its patent EP 3 590 949, and another of its intellectual property rights had already been invalidated in January.

BioNTech faces a separate US proceeding as well. A federal judge declined motions from BioNTech, Pfizer and Moderna to dismiss a suit brought by Bayer's Monsanto unit over mRNA patents. Reuters reported that the court found the defendants had not, at that stage, established either the patent's invalidity or the absence of infringement, meaning the US case will proceed.

Sahin Offloads Shares Under Pre-Set Trading Plan

Amid the legal wrangling, Sahin parted with a portion of his holdings. A mandatory disclosure to the US Securities and Exchange Commission shows the CEO sold 17,000 shares on Thursday at an average price of USD 97.46 apiece, a transaction worth roughly USD 1.66 million. The sale is one of several the co-founder has carried out in stages during September.

The disposal was executed under a pre-arranged trading plan conforming to US Rule 10b5-1, which fixes transaction parameters in advance to shield executives from insider-trading allegations.

Investors are already focused on an impending leadership change: Sahin and chief medical officer Özlem Türeci intend to leave BioNTech by the end of 2026 to launch a new venture focused on early-stage mRNA drug research. BioNTech is in talks over a minority stake in that company as well as the contribution of technology and licensing rights.

Pipeline Progress Meets a Muted Market

BioNTech continues to push its own clinical programs forward. Roughly two weeks ago it released updated Phase 3 data on gotistobart, and around the same time its supervisory board proposed KPMG as auditor while Berenberg raised its price target.

The stock has taken the recent developments largely in stride. Shares finished Friday's session at EUR 86.10, leaving the company with a market value of EUR 21.59 billion and a gain of 5.8% since the start of the year.