“tih. FRANKFURT. Ugur Sahin and his wife Özlem Türeci made history with their COVID-19 vaccine, Comirnaty; now, they are stepping away from BioNTech, a move that has caused surprise and triggered a drop in the company's stock price. Shares in the biotech firm lost more than a fifth of their value on Tuesday following the announcement of financial results and the couple's plans. The award-winning founders—who intend to remain BioNTech shareholders, currently holding a stake of around 15 percent—plan to build a new company and depart by the end of the year at the latest. That is when their current contracts expire; Sahin is currently CEO, and Türeci is Chief Medical Officer (CMO).
According to a statement, the new company aims to drive innovation in next-generation mRNA technology.
BioNTech rose to become one of the world's most important vaccine manufacturers during the coronavirus pandemic, leveraging mRNA technology. mRNA serves as a short-lived set of instructions that cells use temporarily to produce a specific protein—a foundation upon which BioNTech is also developing new therapies, such as cancer treatments.
Sahin and Türeci’s new company is set to have its own resources, business units, and financing options.
The statement noted that by allowing both companies to focus on their respective strategic priorities, value creation for both patients and shareholders is expected to be maximized.
However, that expectation was not met on Tuesday—at least not regarding the capital markets. BioNTech’s share price fell from an intraday high of over 90 euros (recorded before the news broke) to below 70 euros. On the US technology exchange Nasdaq, the stock was down nearly 22 percent by the afternoon. percent.
Sahin explained the move by stating that now is "the right time to prepare for the leadership transition." He noted that the company is currently well-positioned to advance its mission and evolve into a commercial enterprise with a multi-product portfolio.
"At the same time, Özlem and I are ready to become pioneers once again." In a Bloomberg interview, Sahin said that he and his wife are scientists at heart and prefer to focus their energy on innovation rather than on managing a large biopharmaceutical company.
According to Sahin, the move is the result of more than 18 months of discussions.
BioNTech and the new venture intend to continue collaborating in the future. Rights and mRNA technologies will be made available to the new company—whose name has not yet been disclosed—on market-standard terms. In return, BioNTech is set to receive a minority stake as well as other forms of compensation, such as milestone payments and royalties. A binding agreement is expected to be signed by the end of the first half of the year.
Analysts held mixed views on the development. While Deutsche Bank maintained its "Buy" rating—noting that fourth-quarter results and the outlook were solid and there were no major development updates—it described the announced departure as a "surprising and somewhat unorthodox development" on the part of the company. This was not exactly a vote of confidence, the bank suggested, adding that the move also raised the risk of creating a competitor.
The new company marks the founding duo's third venture, following Ganymed Pharmaceuticals in 2001 and BioNTech in 2008.
BioNTech's original goal was the development of mRNA-based cancer therapies.
During the coronavirus pandemic, the Mainz-based company channeled all its resources into developing a coronavirus vaccine.
The billions in revenue generated from that effort are now being used to bring an initial cancer therapy to market. A promising drug candidate, Pumitamig is currently being tested against breast and lung tumors.
In the past fiscal year, BioNTech felt the impact of lower demand for Covid vaccines. Revenue fell by just under 24 percent to just over 907 million euros in the fourth quarter. For the full year, however, revenue rose by a good four percent to 2.87 billion euros, driven by income from the partnership with the US pharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb. The net loss widened to 1.1 billion euros—partly due to research costs running into the billions—compared to a loss of 665 million euros the previous year. For the current year, BioNTech anticipates a decline in revenue to between 2.0 and 2.3 billion euros.” [1]
1. Das Gründerpaar verlässt Biontech: Sahin und Türeci wollen ein neues Unternehmen gründen und wieder "Pioniere werden" / Kurssturz an der Börse. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung; Frankfurt. 11 Mar 2026: 15.
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