BioNTech SE (NASDAQ:BNTX) has announced that it has entered a supply agreement with Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceuticals (Group) Co. Ltd for the supply of 100 million doses to its BNT162 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine candidate in Mainland China. The agreement is subject to regulatory approval with the initial doses expected to be shipped from BioNTech’s facilities in Germany.
BioNTech to bring its vaccine candidate to China through Fosun Pharma
The company’s co-founder and CEO, Ugur Sahin said that they are thanking the Chinese government and the National Medical Products Administration for the commitment and confidence in the company’s vaccine development efforts to address COVID-19. Sahin said that the Fksun Pharma joint development effort is proof of the significance of global collaboration and it reflects the strategy of the company in the supply of the vaccine globally. He further indicated that the agreement is a massive milestone towards the shared goal of delivering safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine to people globally.
Commenting on the agreement, Fosun Pharma CEO and Chairman Wu Yifang said that they have been working closely with BioNTech since the outbreak of the pandemic. Yifang said that through the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Councils’ support the R&D and clinical studies of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine in China were accelerated.
Further, Yifang indicated that to ensure vaccine safety and efficacy they are supporting the marketing of the vaccine in China. BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine candidate is a successful global R&D collaboration model. He said that Fosun Pharma is delighted to enter a supply agreement with BioNTech which is a big step in ensuring vaccine accessibility in China.
BioNTech and Fosun entered collaboration top co-develop the COVID-19 vaccine
Fosun Pharma and BioNTech announced a strategic collaboration in March last year to co-develop and commercialize a potential vaccine based on the mRNA tech platform of BioNTech. The companies commenced the first trials of the vaccine candidate in Jiangsu Province in November. Around 960 subjects were enrolled in the study evaluating immunogenicity and safety of BNT162b2 mRNA vaccines and support future BLA submission in China.
