BioNTech, a COVID-19 vaccine maker, has raised $145 million in funding from a global coalition against infectious diseases to help build a production network in Africa for shots based on cutting edge messenger RNA (mRNA) technology.
BioNTech along with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) said in a joint statement on Wednesday that the financial support was part of an expanded partnership as the German biotech firm builds an mRNA vaccine factory site in Rwanda’s capital Kigali.
A future African network could produce affordable vaccines to fight malaria, mpox, tuberculosis, and other health threats, they continued.
The partners also said that they intend to work together at much faster pace as they wish to respond to outbreaks on the African continent caused by known viral threats, or an as- yet- unknown pathogen with epidemic or pandemic potential.
The funds pledged by CEPI comes in addition to $90 million that the coalition granted BioNTech in September to support the development of mpox vaccine candidates.
