BioNTech establishes regional hub in Singapore

BioNTech, which alongside Pfizer is in the midst of applying for full FDA approval of its Covid vaccine, has chosen Singapore as the location of its regional headquarters for southeast Asia. The company also plans to design a fully integrated mRNA manufacturing facility in Singapore with support from the Singapore Economic Development Board. The new facility will provide regional and global supply capacity of BioNTech’s growing pipeline of mRNA-based product candidates, as well as a rapid response production capability for southeast Asia to address possible pandemic threats.

The new mRNA manufacturing facility will be prepared to generate a range of novel mRNA vaccines and therapeutics for infectious diseases and cancer. The site is expected to provide mRNA production capabilities across drug substance, drug product and fill-and-finish, with an estimated annual capacity of several hundred of million doses of mRNA-based vaccines, depending on the specific vaccine.

BioNTech plans to open its Singapore office and initiate construction of the manufacturing facility in 2021, pending approval. The company foresees that the site could be operational as early as 2023, while opening up 80 jobs in Singapore.