BioNTech to invest up to £1bn in UK R&D expansion

(Sharecast News) - BioNTech announced on Tuesday that it will invest up to £1bn over the next decade to expand its research and development footprint in the UK, backed by a government grant of up to £129m.

The German biotechnology company said the agreement, among the largest ever awarded to a pharmaceutical company in the UK, would build on a multi-year collaboration aimed at accelerating clinical trials for personalised mRNA-based cancer therapies and advancing innovation in genomics, structural biology, and vaccines.

It said it would establish two new research and development centres, including a facility in Cambridge focused on oncology, regenerative medicine and genomics, employing more than 90 scientists.

A second site was planned alongside the development of a new UK headquarters in London, which would also house BioNTech's AI hub led by subsidiary InstaDeep.

The move was expected to create new roles and deepen BioNTech's UK presence in support functions and advanced research.

The expansion formed part of BioNTech's global strategy to become a fully integrated immunotherapy company, aiming to bring multiple cancer treatments to market by 2030.

It said hundreds of UK patients had already accessed investigational mRNA cancer therapies through existing clinical trials under the company's collaboration with the UK government.

At 1554 CEST (1454 BST), shares in BioNTech were up 1.45% in Frankfurt, at €87.30.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.

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