BioNTech has announced its Singapore affiliate BioNTech Pharmaceuticals Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. had entered into an agreement with Novartis Singapore Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Pte. Ltd. to acquire one of its GMP-certified manufacturing facilities. The acquisition is part of BioNTech’s expansion strategy to strengthen its global footprint in Asia, following its announcement choosing Singapore as its base in mid-2021.
Supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), the facility will serve as BioNTech’s Regional Headquarters and become its first mRNA manufacturing facility in Singapore.
“We are excited to be moving a step closer to expanding our global manufacturing network to Singapore, supporting the production of mRNA-based vaccines and therapeutics for the Asia Pacific region. The acquisition gives us the opportunity to accelerate the establishment of a state-of-the-art mRNA manufacturing facility and thus to create capacity more quickly for potential clinical studies and commercial supply of our mRNA vaccines and therapeutics for the region,” said Dr Sierk Poetting, Chief Operating Officer of BioNTech. “In the coming months, we will work closely with all parties on the smooth transition of the site as we continue to prepare for the launch.”
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“We are delighted that BioNTech has chosen Singapore as the location for its new Regional Headquarters and first mRNA manufacturing facility in the Asia Pacific region. The company’s investment demonstrates confidence in the strong talent base and deep manufacturing capabilities of our biopharmaceutical ecosystem. BioNTech’s presence will enhance Singapore’s mRNA capabilities and enable us to strengthen future pandemic preparedness across the region,” said Ms. Goh Wan Yee, Senior Vice President and Head, Healthcare, EDB.
BioNTech’s Singapore mRNA manufacturing facility will create regional manufacturing capacities in support of BioNTech’s growing pipeline of mRNA-based vaccines and therapeutics across Asia Pacific region for both commercial and clinical scale, with the potential to expand the production to other drug classes, such as cell therapies. The facility will be initially equipped to manufacture a range of mRNA-based product candidates as well as authorized vaccines and therapeutics for infectious diseases. This may include the Company’s COVID-19 vaccine, as well as oncology product candidates if successfully developed and approved or authorized by regulatory authorities.
The site will be a fully integrated mRNA manufacturing facility bringing mRNA production capabilities across drug substance and drug product, with an expected annual production capacity of up to several hundred million doses of mRNA-based vaccines after a full built-out. It is expected to create more than 100 jobs in Singapore by 2024 across multiple functions, including operations, engineering, quality, finance, human resources, as well as supply chain management, with recruiting starting immediately for first positions. The plant will be part of BioNTech’s affiliate BioNTech Pharmaceuticals Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. and be fully integrated into the Company’s global manufacturing network.