BioNTech Acquires CureVac in €1.25B Deal to Expand mRNA Oncology Pipeline

On 12 June 2025, BioNTech SE announced it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire CureVac N.V. in a deal valued at approximately €1.25 billion($1.34 billion). The agreement brings together two of Germany’s leading companies in the field of messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics. 

CureVac is a German biopharmaceutical company founded in 2000, with headquarters in Tübingen. The company has been a pioneer in mRNA technology for over 25 years, developing therapies in oncology, infectious diseases, and molecular vaccines. Known for its early and consistent work in mRNA science, CureVac employs a highly specialized team and holds an extensive intellectual property portfolio in the field

BioNTech is a German biotechnology company founded in 2008, with headquarters in Mainz. The company is recognized globally for its  work in mRNA-based immunotherapies, particularly its pivotal role in developing one of the first approved COVID-19 vaccines. BioNTech focuses on personalized cancer treatments, infectious disease vaccines, and rare disease therapies. With a strong research-driven approach, the company combines deep scientific expertise with robust clinical development capabilities and a growing global presence.

What does the €1.25B Deal mean for BioNTech and CureVac?

The acquisition by BioNTech provides CureVac with the resources, infrastructure, and global reach needed to accelerate its pipeline and scale mRNA development efforts. Under the terms of the agreement, CureVac shareholders will receive approximately $5.46 per share in BioNTech ADSs, reflecting a 55% premium over CureVac’s three-month average trading price. The total equity value is subject to standard closing adjustments and collar provisions linked to BioNTech’s stock performance. The deal is not only a major milestone for both companies but a strong signal to investors, regulators, and the biotech industry that Europe is doubling down on mRNA.

Alexander Zehnder, MD, MBA, CEO of CureVac, shared his thoughts on the acquisition in a LinkedIn post:

“Today marks a truly exciting and historic moment for CureVac and for each one of us who has passionately advanced the science of mRNA. I’m excited to announce that we entered into a definitive Purchase Agreement with BioNTech SE, another pioneering German leader in mRNA innovation, pursuant to which BioNTech intends to acquire all of the shares of CureVac.”

Post-transaction, CureVac shareholders will own approximately 4% to 6% of BioNTech. The transaction is expected to close in late 2025, pending regulatory approvals and shareholder acceptance of at least 80% of CureVac shares—already halfway achieved with committed support from major stakeholders including dievini Hopp BioTech holding GmbH & Co. KG and the German Federal Government’s KfW bank.

“This partnership promises meaningful and lasting benefits for patients, shareholders, Germany, and society as a whole… With BioNTech’s partnership, we have the resources, talent, and scale necessary to realize this ambitious vision fully.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, both BioNTech and CureVac played important roles in the development of mRNA-based vaccines. BioNTech, in collaboration with Pfizer, successfully developed one of the first globally approved COVID-19 vaccines, which was widely administered worldwide. CureVac also advanced an mRNA vaccine candidate, CVnCoV, although its initial version showed lower efficacy in clinical trials. The company later focused on developing a second-generation vaccine in partnership with GSK.

What This Means for Oncology

This merger is more than a corporate headline for oncologists—it is a signal of convergence. BioNTech’s oncology pipeline already includes the BNT111 and BNT113 programs, FixVac candidates, and BNT327, a PD-L1 × VEGF-A bispecific antibody. With CureVac’s mRNA platform technologies and manufacturing innovations, BioNTech is better positioned to accelerate the development of off-the-shelf cancer vaccines and combination immunotherapies.

This integration may streamline translation from preclinical validation to first-in-human studies, and eventually to regulatory submission for high-priority tumor types such as melanoma, head and neck cancer, NSCLC, and GI malignancies. As concluded by Prof. Ugur Sahin, M.D., CEO and Co-Founder of BioNTech,

“This transaction is another building block in BioNTech’s oncology strategy and an investment in the future of cancer medicine,”

Key Takeaways

• €1.25B acquisition unites Germany’s two pioneering mRNA firms
• BioNTech to integrate CureVac’s Tübingen R&D and GMP manufacturing site
• Shared focus on oncology, immunotherapy, and mRNA pipeline expansion
• Deal includes a 55% premium for CureVac shareholders, expected to close by late 2025
• BioNTech continues executing on its pan-tumor oncology strategy, including mRNA-based personalized cancer vaccines and checkpoint combinations

Read the full press release