The countdown is on for BioNTech’s founders, Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci, with binding contracts for a new mRNA-focused biotech venture expected to be signed by the end of June. The move, which will see the pair exit their operational roles at BioNTech by the end of 2026, has put a near-term spotlight on the company’s valuation even as a flurry of clinical data from the recent ASCO conference in Chicago strengthens the oncology pipeline.
The proposed spinoff vehicle will house rights and technologies for next-generation mRNA applications. BioNTech itself will contribute these assets at arm’s length in exchange for a minority stake, milestone payments, and royalties. A search for successors to Sahin and Türeci is already underway, with the supervisory board leading the process. Details on the structure of the future relationship are slated for release after the contracts are formalized.
Alongside the corporate shake-up, BioNTech presented several data readouts at ASCO. The immunomodulator gotistobart delivered durable tumor activity and clinically meaningful survival data in heavily pretreated patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, according to the phase 2 PRESERVE-004 trial, and did so without chemotherapy. Meanwhile, the antibody-drug conjugate trastuzumab pamirtecan notched an objective response rate of nearly 48 percent in HER2-expressing endometrial cancer, climbing above 70 percent in the subgroup with the highest HER2 expression. The drug has already secured both Fast Track and Breakthrough Therapy designations from the FDA; BioNTech and partner DualityBio plan to submit a Biologics License Application in 2026, pending regulatory feedback. Chinese authorities have already accepted a corresponding filing for review.
On the lung cancer front, BioNTech and Bristol Myers Squibb released interim results from the phase 2 ROSETTA Lung-02 trial testing pumitamig, a bispecific antibody targeting PD-L1 and VEGF-A, combined with chemotherapy in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Among non-squamous patients, the confirmed objective response rate hit 57.1 percent, while squamous patients saw a 68.4 percent response rate. Those with a tumor proportion score of at least 50 percent achieved a response rate of 100 percent, with the disease control rate across the entire evaluable cohort also reaching 100 percent. The safety profile showed grade 3 or higher adverse events in 48.8 percent of patients, with 23.3 percent attributed specifically to pumitamig; treatment discontinuation due to adverse events occurred in 9.3 percent of patients after a median follow-up of 9.0 months.
BioNTech’s pipeline is rapidly expanding. The company now expects to have 15 active phase 3 studies by the end of this year, with seven late-stage clinical data packages due in 2026. That includes a suite of lung cancer trials — ROSETTA Lung-02, -201, and -202 — that are going head-to-head with established standards like pembrolizumab in the NSCLC market.
Should investors sell immediately? Or is it worth buying BioNTech?
The financial picture remains solid, giving management ample firepower to fund the pivot. BioNTech ended March with €16.8 billion in cash and equivalents. The full-year outlook is unchanged: total revenues between €2.0 billion and €2.3 billion, and adjusted research spending between €2.2 billion and €2.5 billion. In a separate move, the company is returning capital to shareholders with a $1 billion buyback program, representing roughly 4.2 percent of outstanding shares. Institutional investors have been building new positions.
At the same time, BioNTech is streamlining its manufacturing footprint. Sites in Idar-Oberstein, Marburg, Singapore, and CureVac are being closed, affecting up to 1,860 jobs. From 2029 onward, the restructuring is expected to generate annual savings of around €500 million.
Jefferies, for one, remains bullish. Despite a 3.9 percent drop in the stock on June 1, the brokerage reiterated its buy rating. The broader analyst consensus sits at “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $129.56 — well above current levels.
In euro terms, BioNTech shares are changing hands at around €78.40 (€78.30 in some recent prints), roughly 21 percent below their level a year ago and about 23 percent below the 52-week high of €101.90. Year-to-date, the stock is down nearly 5 percent and trades significantly below its 200-day moving average of €86.10.
The twin catalysts of the pending spinoff contract and the upcoming regulatory submission for trastuzumab pamirtecan will test the market’s willingness to assign value to BioNTech’s oncology transformation. Phase 3 results from the broader program are not expected until the latter half of the decade, leaving the current valuation gap a central point of debate among investors.
Ad
BioNTech Stock: Buy or Sell?! New BioNTech Analysis from June 2 delivers the answer:
The latest BioNTech figures speak for themselves: Urgent action needed for BioNTech investors. Is it worth buying or should you sell? Find out what to do now in the current free analysis from June 2.
BioNTech: Buy or sell? Read more here...
