BioNTech eyes raising around 16B euros from COVID vaccine sales this year

The German company BioNTech, which, together with its American partner Pfizer, has developed a vaccine against the coronavirus Comirnaty, expects to accrue 15.9 billion euros ($18.7 billion) in revenue from the vaccine this year, Report informs referring to Reuters.

BioNTech and Pfizer have supplied more than one billion doses of their COVID-19 vaccine as per July 21, a more significant number than delivered by competitor AstraZeneca, the German biotech group, said.

The supply tally, up from more than 700 million doses announced by the biotech firm in June, compares with AstraZeneca saying late last month that it and manufacturing partner Serum Institute of India had supplied a billion doses to 170 countries at the time.

Based on delivery contracts for over 2.2 billion doses so far, BioNTech expectations exceed the May forecast of 12.4 billion euros.

Pfizer, late last month, raised its forecast for its share of 2021 vaccine sales to $33.5 billion.

BioNTech added that it and Pfizer believe the third dose, following the established two-shot regimen, "has the potential to preserve the highest levels of protective efficacy against all currently tested variants, including Delta," underscoring similar remarks made by its partner.