BioNTech Inks Major Pharma Deal with U.K.

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--German pharma major BioNTech (Mainz, Germany) and the U.K. government have agreed one of the largest investment deals in the history of the country's pharmaceutical industry.

The company has pledged to invest £1 billion (US$1.35 billion) in research and development over the coming decade following the award of a grant of up to £129 million (US$175 million) from the U.K. government. It will involve the construction of two new R&D facilities in Cambridge and London. The Cambridge R&D center will focus on genomics, oncology, structural biology, and regenerative medicine. The new London facility will become the company's new U.K. headquarters and also host an artificial intelligence (AI) hub led by its wholly-owned subsidiary InstaDeep Ltd. This hub will focus on AI-enabled medical research into understanding disease causes, drug target selection and predictive analytics. Both projects are expected to create more than 400 jobs.

U.K. Science and Technology Secretary, Peter Kyle, said: "This investment will propel the growth-driving life sciences sector to new heights, delivering cutting-edge facilities, building careers in the future-facing jobs we want our children to have, and ultimately unlocking progress in medical science that could save lives. This is a clear indication of how we will deliver the government's Plan for Change: working together with the best and brightest businesses and innovators to unlock their potential, and then reap the benefits for the economy, health and more that their drive and genius can deliver."

Uğur Şahin, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of BioNTech, commented: "This agreement marks the next chapter of our successful strategic partnership with the U.K. government. Together, we have already made a meaningful difference in expanding access to investigational personalized cancer therapies for patients. Now, we are taking the next step to accelerate and broaden our research and development efforts advancing towards our vision to translate science into survival for patients."

The U.K. life sciences sector is already one of the "priority sectors" highlighted by the Labour government's forthcoming Industrial Strategy. It is worth £108 billion (US$146 billion) to the economy at present and employs more than 300,000 people. The government has previously committed to investing up to £520 million (US$704 million) in the sector through the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund. The country is ranked second in the world as a key location for biotech companies, research and development investment according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The new investment was welcomed by the U.K. BioIndustry Association. Chief Executive Steve Bates said: "BioNTech's investment demonstrates the UK's position as a top destination for life sciences innovation and underlines why the government is absolutely right to back our sector as a priority for growth. BioNTech is not only a pioneer in mRNA science, but also a visionary partner in building a truly unique public-private collaboration with the UK government and NHS. [We] have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to leverage its strong position to attract investment from global investors to create well-paid jobs and scale U.K. companies, if the upcoming Life Sciences Sector Plan can address long-standing structural challenges in the financing and commercial environment."

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