BioNTech Co-Founders Sahin and Türeci to Establish New mRNA Company by 2026
Key Insights
BioNTech co-founders Ugur Sahin (search) and Özlem Türeci (search) will transition from their current roles by the end of 2026 to establish a new biotechnology company focused on next-generation mRNA (search) innovations.
BioNTech will contribute related rights and mRNA (search) technologies to the new company in exchange for a minority stake, milestone payments, and royalties, with binding agreements expected by mid-2026.
The departure marks a strategic shift as BioNTech advances toward becoming a multi-product company with 15 ongoing Phase III oncology (search) trials expected by year-end.
BioNTech SE announced that co-founders Prof. Ugur Sahin (search), M.D., and Prof. Özlem Türeci (search), M.D., will establish an independent biotechnology company focused on next-generation mRNA (search) innovations, with the management transition expected to be completed by the end of 2026. The move represents a significant leadership change for the German biotech company that gained global recognition during the COVID-19 (search) pandemic.
The new company will advance cutting-edge platform technologies and research mRNA (search)-based innovations with disruptive potential. BioNTech plans to contribute related rights and mRNA technologies to the new venture on an arm's length basis in exchange for a minority stake and other forms of consideration including milestones and royalties. A binding agreement is expected to be signed by the end of the first half of 2026.
Strategic Focus and Pipeline Continuity
BioNTech is sharpening its strategic focus on the development and commercialization of its growing late-stage pipeline spanning innovative immunomodulator (search), antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) and mRNA (search) candidates. The company's current clinical pipeline, including previously announced milestones and the COVID-19 vaccine franchise, remains unaffected by the plans for the new company.
The company expects to have 15 ongoing Phase III clinical trials in oncology (search) by year-end, with 2026 marking the first year in which BioNTech anticipates multiple late-stage data readouts across major cancer (search) types. These clinical trials and resulting data will inform regulatory and launch plans as the company advances toward becoming a commercial multi-product company by 2030.
Leadership Transition and Succession Planning
BioNTech's Supervisory Board has initiated an executive search to identify successors for the positions to ensure a smooth transition and seamless execution of BioNTech's strategy. Sahin and Türeci will transition into the management of their new company after their current service agreements end.
"Over the past 18 years, we have built BioNTech from a start-up into a global biopharmaceutical company with a strong and diversified pipeline," said Prof. Ugur Sahin (search), Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of BioNTech. "Today, the company is well positioned to advance its mission and evolve into a commercial multi-product company. For us, this is the right time to prepare to hand over the baton."
Third Venture for Pioneering Duo
This marks the third biotechnology company for Sahin and Türeci, following the foundation of Ganymed Pharmaceuticals (search) in 2001 and BioNTech in 2008. The co-founders, who are also married, have worked together for decades as experts on the mRNA (search) platform, particularly in oncology (search) applications.
"Our vision has always been to translate our science into meaningful advances for patients, and we see extraordinary opportunities to unlock the next generation of transformative innovations," Sahin added.
Helmut Jeggle, Chairman of the BioNTech Supervisory Board, expressed support for the transition: "As BioNTech advances multiple late-stage product candidates towards commercialization, we support them in taking the opportunity to apply their strengths and undivided attention to a new venture, dedicated to enabling mRNA (search)-based technologies to reach their full potential."
Collaborative Opportunities
The arrangement aims to benefit both companies by providing opportunities to collaborate on combination approaches involving their respective product candidates, with the potential to create new complementary or synergistic treatment strategies. BioNTech's diversified oncology (search) portfolio includes mRNA (search) cancer (search) immunotherapies, next-generation immunomodulators, targeted therapies such as antibody-drug conjugates, and innovative chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies.
The company has established relationships with multiple global pharmaceutical collaborators, including Bristol Myers Squibb (search), Duality Biologics, Fosun Pharma, Genentech (a member of the Roche Group), Genmab, MediLink, OncoC4, Pfizer and Regeneron.