Press release

BioNTech and Australia’s State of Victoria Celebrate Milestone in Strategic Partnership to Strengthen mRNA Ecosystem

Publication date: 10.21.2026

Multi-year public-private partnership with the State of Victoria reaches milestone with the inauguration of BioNTech’s clinical-scale mRNA manufacturing and R&D facility at La Trobe University’s Bundoora campus
Together with BioNTech’s mRNA Innovation Centre in Melbourne, the facility is intended to create an integrated pathway for academia and industry to translate innovation into clinical practice, building on a shared, long-term vision with the State of Victoria in support of building and fostering a local mRNA ecosystem
Upon successful commissioning, the facility is expected to become operationally ready by mid to late 2027
With patients now being enrolled across 18 clinical trials in Australia, BioNTech is progressing the development of investigational cancer therapies, supporting its global 2030 goal of becoming a multi-product biopharmaceutical company

MELBOURNE, Australia, October 21, 2026 — BioNTech SE (Nasdaq: BNTX, “BioNTech” or “the Company”) today announced the inauguration of its state-of-the-art clinical-scale mRNA manufacturing and research and development (“R&D”) facility at La Trobe University’s Bundoora campus in Melbourne, Australia. The inauguration, attended by the Hon. Colin Brooks MP, Treasurer of Victoria, and the Hon. Anthony Carbines MP, Minister for Economic Development of the State of Victoria, marks a significant milestone in BioNTech’s strategic partnership with the State of Victoria to strengthen the local mRNA ecosystem.

Since 2014, the Victorian Government has invested more than A$1.2 billion in health and medical research in general, laying the foundation for breakthroughs in treatment and care, driving economic growth, and creating highly skilled jobs.[i] The State of Victoria contracted BioNTech in 2023 to develop and commission an mRNA manufacturing facility tailored to the needs of the local mRNA ecosystem, underlining the Government’s long-term commitment in enabling partnerships like the one with BioNTech.

The newly inaugurated facility is built around BioNTech’s modular BioNTainer^® technology, which integrates mRNA drug substance manufacturing, formulation, and aseptic filling capabilities within a single site. This setup provides clinical-scale end-to-end manufacturing capabilities tailored to the needs of the local mRNA ecosystem. Offering state-subsidized access to researchers and biotech start-ups, the facility aims to enable innovative mRNA approaches to progress efficiently from research to clinical trials. BioNTech in Australia is already producing R&D materials for researchers; and upon successful commissioning, the facility is expected to become operationally ready for GMP manufacturing by mid to late 2027.

“Our partnership with the Victorian Government demonstrates how public-private collaboration can build lasting capabilities aimed at driving innovation in medicine,” said Sierk Poetting, Ph.D., Chief Operating Officer at BioNTech. “I am proud of the milestone we reached with today’s inauguration and look forward to the years ahead as we continue working with our partners to further strengthen the local mRNA ecosystem and empower groundbreaking research and development that are aimed at making a difference for patients worldwide.”

“We have already seen significant demand for R&D and clinical trial material support within the mRNA ecosystem, with potential projects spanning indications including infectious disease, oncology, immunology and neurology with high unmet medical need,” said Dr. David Sparling, Site Head at BioNTech Australia. “It is exciting to envision how this facility, once fully operational, can help researchers accelerate their innovations and bring them closer to patients. With today’s inauguration, we have taken an important step toward enabling these advancements and strengthening the mRNA research and development landscape in Australia and beyond.”

BioNTech’s clinical trials in Australia are key to the Company’s global oncology strategy, with 18 currently ongoing trials in the region advancing nearly all of its oncology pipeline candidates. Focused on addressing high unmet medical need, this clinical footprint plays a significant role in supporting BioNTech’s ambition to become a multi-product biopharmaceutical company by 2030 – delivering new treatment options that aim to significantly improve standards of care or establish new ones for people worldwide.

About the private-public partnership between BioNTech and the State of Victoria

The clinical-scale mRNA manufacturing and R&D facility is one of three strategic pillars of BioNTech’s presence in Australia, which is focused on contributing to the local mRNA ecosystem as well as advancing the Company’s oncology pipeline towards commercialization:

Innovation Centre: Located in Melbourne’s central business district, BioNTech’s mRNA Innovation Centre plays a pivotal role in identifying, assessing, and advancing mRNA-focused research projects from academia and industry. Open to researchers, biotechnology companies, and clinical partners, the Innovation Centre provides scientific expertise, development support, and access to mRNA manufacturing capabilities.
mRNA manufacturing facility: The newly inaugurated facility at La Trobe University’s Bundoora campus is a high-tech hub for clinical-scale GMP and R&D mRNA manufacturing. It is designed to support preclinical and clinical development, enabling innovators to translate their ideas into clinical trials.
Clinical development: BioNTech is advancing its oncology pipeline through clinical trials in Australia, including through the Clinical Trials Oncology Platform (“CTOP”). CTOP is designed to streamline clinical trials and enhance patient access. The platform was launched in partnership with the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in 2025 and is supported by a clinical network including Austin Health, Alfred Health, and Monash Health.

Together, the Innovation Centre and manufacturing facility establish an integrated pathway that aims to support collaborators at every stage of development. This connected approach is designed to accelerate the translation of innovative science into potential new treatment options.

[i]https://djsir.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/2246953/health-and-medical-research-strategy-2022-32.pdf, accessed on October 13, 2026.

About BioNTech

BioNTech is a global next generation biopharmaceutical company pioneering novel investigative therapies for cancer and other serious diseases. In oncology, BioNTech is committed to transforming how cancer is treated. Its ambition is to develop innovative medicines with pan-tumor or synergistic potential to address cancer from multiple angles and across the full continuum of the disease from early- to late-stage. Its growing late-stage oncology pipeline comprises complementary treatment approaches spanning immunomodulators, antibody drug conjugates, and mRNA cancer immunotherapies. BioNTech has partnered with multiple global and specialized pharmaceutical collaborators leveraging complementary expertise and resources to accelerate innovation and drive progress, including Bristol Myers Squibb, Duality Biologics, Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, Genmab, MediLink, OncoC4, and Pfizer.

For more information, please visit www.BioNTech.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including, but not limited to, statements concerning: BioNTech’s collaboration between the State of Victoria in Australia and its leading scientific institutions, including the ability of its mRNA Innovation Centre to assess and identify mRNA-focused research projects for potential clinical-stage development; the timing and characteristics of an mRNA manufacturing facility being established to support research and development and the evaluation of mRNA-based candidates in clinical trials in Australia; BioNTech’s ongoing clinical trial activities in Australia; BioNTech's ability to install mRNA container manufacturing facilities in Australia, including its ability to meet all necessary infrastructure, technology and regulatory requirements; the scale-up of local know-how and training in Australia; the development of sustainable RNA vaccine capacities, production and supply solutions in Australia, and the nature, timing, and feasibility of these solutions. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “may,” “should,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “aims,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential,” “continue,” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words.

The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on BioNTech’s current expectations and beliefs of future events and are neither promises nor guarantees. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond BioNTech’s control, and which could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: BioNTech’s ability to successfully establish and operate its clinical-scale mRNA manufacturing and R&D facility in Australia, including the development of quality assurance capabilities to support manufacturing activities; the ability to integrate the mRNA Innovation Centre and manufacturing facility to accelerate the translation of research into clinical applications; competition related to BioNTech’s current and future product candidates; BioNTech’s ability to advance its oncology pipeline through clinical trials in Australia, including through the Clinical Trials Oncology Platform (CTOP); BioNTech’s and its counterparties’ ability to manage and source necessary energy resources; BioNTech’s ability to identify research opportunities and discover and develop investigational medicines; the ability and willingness of BioNTech’s third-party collaborators to continue research and development activities relating to BioNTech’s development candidates and investigational medicines; BioNTech’s ability to manage its development and related expenses; regulatory and political developments; BioNTech’s ability to effectively scale its production capabilities and manufacture its product candidates; the potential safety and efficacy of BioNTech’s product candidates; the timing of and BioNTech’s ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval for its product candidates; BioNTech’s ability to develop and commercialize product candidates; the ability of BioNTech’s Australian operations to contribute to this effort; BioNTech’s anticipated market opportunity and size for its product candidates; and the rate and degree of market acceptance of BioNTech’s investigational medicines, if approved; risks relating to the global financial system and markets; and other factors not known to us at this time.

You should review the risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk Factors” in BioNTech’s Report on Form 6-K for the period ended June 30, 2026, and in subsequent filings made by BioNTech with the SEC, which are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. Except as required by law, BioNTech disclaims any intention or responsibility for updating or revising any forward-looking statements contained in this press release in the event of new information, future developments or otherwise.