BioNTech Presents Quarterly Figures: Higher R&D Costs Due to IO and ADC Programs as Well as CureVac Integration

With the acquisition of CureVac at the end of 2025, BioNTech is expanding its mRNA and cancer vaccine pipeline. The inclusion of CureVac's business activities in the consolidated financial statements has affected reported costs and revenues since the beginning of 2026. BioNTech explained the additional burden in the current quarter, among other things, through integration expenses and synergy effects that are expected to take hold only in the medium term.

The focus of R&D investments continues to be on the aforementioned ADC candidates Pumitamig and Gotistobart, as well as additional IO programs. ADCs combine an antibody that recognizes tumor cells with a drug intended to destroy those cells in a targeted manner. BioNTech has described the programs as central pillars of its oncology strategy.

Programs and Clinical Development

In addition to the increased R&D costs, the group once again pointed to non-IFRS adjustments — in other words, adjusted metrics that exclude certain special items. Investors and analysts typically watch these figures closely in order to draw conclusions about operational progress. In the current fiscal year, BioNTech intends to continue advancing several clinical trials for its ADC candidates.

The company published the figures at its headquarters in Mainz. According to the company, Dr. Guido Oelkers is part of the management team that explained the results. BioNTech did not provide further personnel details regarding the reporting in the announcement. BioNTech shares were traded on German exchanges following the publication.

With regard to the pipeline, BioNTech named the candidates Trastuzumab Pamirtecan and Elfetabab Drozuntecan alongside Pumitamig and Gotistobart. These drug candidates are in various phases of clinical development. The company announced that it would release data from ongoing trials over the remainder of the year.

Outlook for the Full Year 2026

Among investors, the cash position and the use of funds are of particular focus. BioNTech has recently emphasized that it is investing its funds in a targeted manner in oncology programs and platform technologies. The integration of CureVac is considered an important lever for further expanding in-house mRNA capabilities.

For the full year 2026, the company expects R&D expenses to remain high, also due to ongoing clinical trials. The announcement did not provide a specific forecast for adjusted annual figures. BioNTech referred to the annual targets outlined in the 2025 Annual Report.

Possible Site Adjustments and Employment

The announcement also contained a reference to possible site-related adjustments, which could result in the elimination of up to 1,860 employees. The company stated that, in connection with the closures, it would look for possible acquisitions for affected employees. The company stated the following verbatim: "der möglichst auch viele der bis zu 1.860 Mitarbeiter übernimmt, die bei der Schließung ihren Job verlieren könnten".

According to BioNTech, the adjustments mentioned are connected to the consolidation of the CureVac sites and the bundling of functions at the main locations. The company emphasized that it intends to treat affected employees as socially responsibly as possible and to seek solutions.

Overall, BioNTech considers itself, by its own account, to be strategically well positioned to continue advancing the oncology pipeline. The integration of CureVac and the expansion of the ADC platform are regarded as central priorities for the coming quarters. BioNTech intends to publish further information on business development as part of its next regular reporting.