BioNTech SE said it plans to start construction on its first start-to-finish vaccine plant in Africa in the middle of next year, aiming to build a manufacturing network that would eventually supply hundreds of millions of doses to the continent.
The company said it’s developing the plans with the governments of Rwanda and Senegal, and initially the factory would have annual capacity of 50 million doses. The location hasn’t been decided yet, and the company didn’t announce a timeline for completion.
"We are committed to bringing our innovations to those who need them most,” Chief Executive Officer Ugur Sahin said on a conference call. "We aim to build sustainable, end-to-end vaccine supply solutions.”
Moderna Inc. said earlier this month it would spend as much as $500 million to build a factory in Africa that could produce half a billion messenger RNA vaccine doses a year.
Pfizer Inc. and partner BioNTech announced a separate plan in July for a site in Cape Town, South Africa that would focus on the final stage of the manufacturing process.
