BioNTech, a company founded by Dr. Sahin and his wife Özlem Türeci, earlier this year developed over 20 vaccine candidates based on the novel mRNA technology that seeks to program the body to create a protein that would help it combat the coronavirus.
In March, the company teamed up with Pfizer, building on an earlier partnership to jointly develop an mRNA-based influenza vaccine. In July, the companies began the late-stage trial of the candidate that it deemed most promising.
BioNTech and Pfizer are among a handful of companies in advanced stages of testing their vaccine. They committed to supplying over 450 million doses this year and next year, contingent on late-stage trials showing the vaccine to be safe and effective, and governments give the go-ahead for its use.
The U.S. government placed an initial order of 100 million doses, with the option to purchase 500 million additional doses. The EU ordered 200 million doses with an option for another 100 million. The government of Japan ordered 120 million doses, and Britain ordered 30 million.All orders are subject to regulatory approval, and only the price of the U.S. deal—$1.95 billion—has been disclosed so far. Learn more about this huge money maker click here