BioNTech Bets Big On Cancer: Inside the $1.25 Billion CureVac Deal & The Race To Reinvent Oncology!

BioNTech SE, once a pandemic-era household name for its COVID-19 vaccine developed with Pfizer, is entering a transformative phase. The German biotech company has agreed to acquire former rival CureVac NV in an all-stock deal valued at approximately $1.25 billion, marking a strategic expansion of its oncology pipeline. CureVac shareholders will receive about $5.46 in BioNTech stock per share—a 34% premium—giving them between 4% and 6% ownership in the merged entity post-deal. This acquisition follows CureVac’s exit from infectious disease R&D and its pivot toward cancer immunotherapies, aligning closely with BioNTech’s core strategy. Beyond the end of a long-standing rivalry, the deal consolidates mRNA expertise, resolves litigation over intellectual property, and boosts BioNTech’s research and manufacturing capacity. At the same time, BioNTech is advancing key clinical programs—especially the BNT327 immunomodulator and its iNeST/FixVac mRNA immunotherapies—alongside strategic manufacturing and AI investments, all aimed at reshaping the cancer treatment landscape.