BioNTech plans to launch mRNA vaccine manufacturing in Africa

BioNTech SE will be looking to establish sustainable vaccine manufacturing capabilities in Rwanda and Senegal to support vaccine supply for the member states of the African Union. Following the invitation of the kENUP Foundation, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, President Macky Sall of Senegal, and President Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission met with Uğur Şahin, CEO and co-founder of BioNTech late last week to discuss the development of sustainable vaccine production for Africa.

As a result, following the meeting, the parties submitted a joint communiqué confirming BioNTech’s plan to manufacture mRNA vaccines developing from its malaria and tuberculosis vaccine development programs on the African continent. The potential locations of the manufacturing sites are expected to co-locate with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) upcoming Vaccine Hubs.

“ … Our goal is to develop vaccines in Africa and set-up sustainable vaccine production capabilities to jointly improve medical care,” says Sahin. “We are committed to investing in cutting-edge research and innovation to support vaccine development in addition to the establishment of manufacturing facilities and build-up of manufacturing expertise on the African continent.”