Covid vaccine: BioNTech-Pfizer to produce 2.5 billion doses in 2021

BioNTech said on Tuesday that it and partner Pfizer would increase manufacturing capacity of their Covid-19 vaccine to 2.5 billion doses by the end of 2021, unveiling for the first time projected sales of close to 10 billion euros ($11.73 billion) from the product this year.

Pfizer previously said the two partners would likely produce between 2.3 billion and 2.4 billion doses this year.

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BioNTech cited its new facility in the German city of Marburg and an expansion of the pair's network of third-party manufacturers and suppliers as drivers behind the larger volumes.

"Additional measures and discussions with potential partners to further expand the manufacturing capacity and network are ongoing," it added.

As of last week, more than 200 million doses of the product, known as BNT162b2 or Comirnaty, have been supplied, while signed orders for delivery in 2021 currently amount to 1.4 billion doses, said BioNTech.

Based on this order backlog, BioNTech said it expected 9.8 billion euros in revenues from the product, reflecting direct sales, sales to collaboration partners, milestone payments from partners as well as a share of gross profit in the partners’ territories.

BioNTech has previously said it had a 50-50 cost and profit share agreement with Pfizer, which excludes China, and a 35% to 40% gross profit share deal with Fosun Pharma in China.

In early February, Pfizer projected Comirnaty would contribute at least $15 billion to its 2021 group sales.