Momentous BioNTech Lung Cancer Vaccine Trial Underway

Who is BioNTech?

BioNTech is a German biotechnology company that was founded in 2008. The Mainz-based firm specialises in developing immunotherapies for cancer and infectious diseases, utilising genetic instructions to direct cells to produce specific proteins.

In its early years, BioNTech concentrated on cancer immunotherapies, a move driven by its founders’ expertise in oncology and immunology. 

But in the early 2010s, it began to focus on messenger RNA (mRNA) technology. This is the creation of vaccines that use a molecule containing instructions for cells to make a protein using its natural machinery. In 2020, its work in this area culminated in the development of the COVID-19 vaccine, in partnership with Pfizer.

BioNTech’s approach to immunotherapies centres on harnessing the body’s immune system to combat diseases. This involves developing treatments that stimulate or modify immune responses to target specific ailments. 

What are BioNTech’s therapeutic areas? 

Its research spans multiple therapeutic areas, including oncology, infectious diseases, and rare diseases.

The drug classes in portfolio include mRNA therapeutics, cell therapies, and small molecules. mRNA therapeutics form the core of the its pipeline, with applications ranging from cancer vaccines to infectious disease prevention. 

It is also developing cell therapies, including CAR-T cell treatments, for various cancer types. CAR-T stands for ‘chimeric antigen receptor T-cell’. It is a therapy tailored to individual patients, and involves reprogramming the patient’s immune system cells, which are then used to target their cancer.

BioNTech’s product candidates are aimed at treating various types of cancer, including melanoma, head and neck cancer and colorectal cancer. 

In the realm of infectious diseases, the company is developing treatments for influenza, HIV, and tuberculosis, in addition to its COVID-19 vaccine. 

The pipeline also includes projects that address rare diseases, though these are in earlier stages of development.

BioNTech is also working on several vaccine delivery platforms to enhance the efficacy and accessibility of its products. 

Lipid nanoparticles, used in the COVID-19 vaccine, remain a key technology for delivering mRNA vaccines. It is also exploring novel formulations for more-stable vaccine storage and transport, which could expand the reach of mRNA vaccines in regions with limited cold chain infrastructure. 

The firm is also investigating so-called ‘self-amplifying RNA technology’, which could potentially reduce the dose required for effective vaccination.