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BioNTech will close three German production sites by the end of 2028
BioNTech has decided to close three production sites in Germany from the end of 2027 through the end of 2028, while no buyer has been found for its production centers in Singapore. The closures are expected to affect 1,800 employees, but Berlin-based JPT Peptide Technologies was excluded because it was transferred to a new owner.
BioNTech plans to gradually close three production sites located in the German states of Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse and Baden-Württemberg. The company has also been unable to find a suitable buyer for its production centers in Singapore.
Closure schedule
The Tübingen site is expected to cease operations at the end of 2027, the Marburg site at the beginning of 2028 and the Idar-Oberstein site at the end of 2028.
The company said the decision was prompted by the current challenging market and investment conditions. Approximately 1,800 employees are expected to be affected by the closure process.
BioNTech management announced that it had reached an agreement with the works council on carrying out the layoffs in a socially responsible manner and determining additional severance terms.
JPT excluded from closures
JPT Peptide Technologies GmbH, a Berlin-based company specializing in peptide analysis and employing approximately 130 people, was excluded from the closure process after being acquired by Munich-based Dubag Group.
The Tübingen site was the headquarters of CureVac, BioNTech's former rival, which the company acquired in a multibillion-dollar deal in the summer of 2025.
CureVac founder accuses BioNTech
Following the closure decision, CureVac founder Ingmar Hoerr accused BioNTech of “deceiving” them. Hoerr claimed that the parties had agreed during the acquisition process to establish a mutually beneficial joint venture, but that BioNTech chose to close the site instead of honoring that commitment.
Company focuses on cancer treatments
BioNTech, which employs approximately 7,200 people worldwide, entered a transformation phase after global demand for its COVID-19 vaccine fell sharply.
The company decided to shift its production capacity to its vaccine partner Pfizer and redirect its resources toward oncology, mRNA-based immunotherapies and antibody-drug conjugates targeting cancer cells.
In 2020, BioNTech developed a COVID-19 vaccine with US-based Pfizer using mRNA technology. After generating billions of euros in revenue from the vaccine during the pandemic, the company plans to submit applications for approval for several drug candidates in the field of cancer treatment by 2030.
High research and development costs, along with the inability to bring a newly approved product to market, were also reflected in the company's financial results. BioNTech reported a net loss of €1.35 billion in the first six months of the year.
The company's legal dispute with Bayer over patent rights is also ongoing.
Şahin and Türeci to leave executive roles
The restructuring process coincides with the departure of BioNTech founders Prof. Dr. Uğur Şahin, the company's CEO and co-founder, and Dr. Özlem Türeci, its chief medical officer, from their active executive roles.
It has been confirmed that Şahin and Türeci will establish a new Mainz-based biotechnology company called “Arife,” which will focus on researching and developing next-generation mRNA innovations.
The pair will retain their shares in BioNTech and continue to provide scientific advice to the company.
Guido Oelkers, CEO of Swedish biopharmaceutical company Sobi, is expected to take over as CEO after Şahin no later than Feb. 1, 2027.
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