BioNTech (BNTX) Q2 2026 earnings call transcript

Transcript, summary, guidance, and what analysts pressed on from the BioNTech SE call on August 3, 2026.

Held
August 3, 2026
Length
1 h 1 min
Tone
Positive0.55
Analysts
8
Words
7,167
2026 BMS collaboration revenue
approximately 613 millionexpected revenue
COVID guidance-adjustment share
80%of reduction
Late-stage readouts through 2030+
more than 17multiple tumor types
LVD patients treated
more than 1,000across 10+ tumor types
LVD combination patients
400with Pumitamig
LVD treatment duration
more than a yearwithout significant ILD events

Summary

Management framed 2026 as a transition toward a scaled, multi-product oncology company despite weaker COVID demand and delayed clinical milestones.

  • 2027 readouts replaced several previously expected 2026 milestones as event accrual slowed or additional combinations were added.
  • Late 2026 includes pivotal gotistobart interim analysis, BNT113 progression-free-survival analysis, and TPAM breast-cancer data.
  • Combination trials deliberately preserve ADC overlap until 2027, when management expects to select winners for multiple phase 3 programs.

Guidance

  • 2027 China TNBC phase 3 readout expected after slower event accrual.
  • 2027 first-line CRC China phase 2 readout follows added chemotherapy combinations.
  • 2027 gotistobart second-line prostate phase 2 readout follows a decision to seek greater maturity.
  • Late 2026 gotistobart pivotal squamous NSCLC interim analysis expected toward year-end.
  • 2026 BNT113 phase 3 progression-free-survival analysis expected.
  • 2026 TPAM HER2-low, hormone-receptor-positive metastatic breast-cancer data expected.

What analysts pressed on

  • 01LVD indication selection: durable disease control and tolerability supported metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer as the first phase 3 setting.
  • 022026 milestone timing: China TNBC, CRC, and prostate readouts moved to 2027 because events accrued more slowly or combinations expanded.
  • 03Pumitamig differentiation: tumor-microenvironment PD-L1 binding and broad combination potential were emphasized, without head-to-head evidence.
  • 04TPAM benchmarks: management cited published benchmarks but declined to specify a decision threshold for strategy or regulatory filing.
  • 05Capital allocation: priority programs remain fully funded, with external-deal flexibility and ongoing share repurchases.
  • 06Rosetta Lung 02 timing: PFS may enable earlier filing, but management provided no final-readout or enrollment timeline.

Notable disclosures

  • February 1 is the latest start date for incoming CEO Guido Oelkers, while Ugur Sahin will support onboarding.
  • 2027 is when management expects to identify winning Pumitamig-ADC combinations and initiate several phase 3 trials.
  • Rosetta Lung 02’s PFS endpoint creates a potential filing opportunity before the previously expected overall-survival analysis.
  • 613MApproximately 613 million in BMS collaboration revenue is expected during 2026.
  • More than 1,000 patients have received LVD, including 400 in combination with Pumitamig.

Risks raised

  • COVID vaccination rates and the regulatory and public-health environment drove most of the revenue-guidance reduction.
  • Event-driven trial timelines remain uncertain, including Rosetta Lung 02’s final readout and several delayed China studies.
  • Management cautioned that efficacy cannot be inferred across different lung-cancer histologies or competing biospecific programs.
  • ADC portfolio overlap may lead to reduced investment in some assets after combination data identify winners.

Tone: Positive 0.55

Oncology execution and pivotal optionality remain encouraging, but weaker COVID demand, delayed readouts, and unquantified trial outcomes temper the constructive tone.

Who spoke

Company

  • Doug M.Investor Relations
  • Helmut JägleChairman of BioNTech's Supervisory Board
  • Ugur SahinChief Executive Officer and Co-Founder
  • Ozlem TurechiChief Medical Officer and Co-Founder
  • Ramon ZapataChief Financial Officer

Analysts

  • Cory KasimovAnalyst, Evercore ISI
  • Jeff MeachamAnalyst, Citigroup
  • Akash TewariAnalyst, Jefferies
  • Terence FlynnAnalyst, Morgan Stanley
  • Yaron WerberAnalyst, TD Cowen
  • Mohit BansalAnalyst, Wells Fargo
  • Unidentified AnalystAnalyst, Bank of America
  • Jessica FyeAnalyst, JP Morgan

Full transcript

Analyst questions are marked with a bar. Timestamps are into the recording.

Prepared remarks

00:00

Doug M.Investor Relations

Thank you, operator. Good morning and good afternoon. Thank you for joining BioNTech's second quarter 2026 earnings call. As a reminder, the slides we will be using during this call and the corresponding press release can be found in the Investor section of our website. On the next slide, you will see our forward-looking statements disclaimer. Additional information about these statements and other risks are described in our filings with the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC.

Forward-looking statements on this call are subject to significant risks and uncertainties and speak only as of the date of this conference call. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any of these statements. On slide three, you can see the agenda for today's call. I'm joined by the following members of BioNTech's management team. Uga Shaheen, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Oslem Turechi, Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder, and Ramon Zapata, Chief Financial Officer. Also available for the Q&A portion of the call is Anne-Marie Hanekamp, Chief Commercial Officer. Related to yesterday's Chief Executive Officer announcement, we will also be joined today by Helmut Jägle, Chairman of BioNTech's Supervisory Board. With this, I will hand the call over to Helmut.

01:28

Helmut JägleChairman of BioNTech's Supervisory Board

Thank you, Doug, and good morning, everyone. Before we begin with a business update from the Management Board, I would like to provide further color on the appointment of BioNTech's next Chief Executive Officer. As announced yesterday, Guido Oelkers will take office as CEO as of February 1st at the latest. From the outset, the supervisory board's CEO search was guided by three clear priorities.

Proven strategic leadership, the ability to scale a global biopharmaceutical business, and a strong track record of building and growing innovation-driven science-based organizations. Guido is an excellent fit on all three dimensions. Most recently, as CEO of Sobe, he more than quadruples the company's revenues over nine years by strengthening its global capabilities and maximizing the value of his late-stage pipeline. He brings deep expertise in launching and commercializing innovative products with a focus on the US market, as well as extensive leadership experience across Europe and Asia Pacific.

The supervisory board believes that Guido is the right leader for BioNTech's next phase. His expertise in scaling innovative organizations in a focused and capital-efficient manner, combined with his deep knowledge of the markets most relevant to BioNTech, will position the company well to deliver on its key objectives, evolve into a multi-product biopharmaceutical company, and continue its remarkable success story.

With that, I would like to hand over to Uwe and will be available for questions during the Q&A at the end of the call.

03:16

Ugur SahinChief Executive Officer and Co-Founder

Thank you, Helmut, and a warm welcome to everyone joining us today. I believe it is important to note that this transition reflects the natural evolution of BioNTech from a pioneering research organization into a global biopharmaceutical company with multiple commercial products. The next phase of this evolution requires the corresponding leadership skills, and I am confident we have found this in Guido.

During our exchanges, I have come to know Guido as a leader who combines a deep understanding of the pharmaceutical industry and strategic acumen with genuine respect for the culture and people of our organization. He understands what we have built, and importantly, he understands what it will take to scale it. To ensure continuity and a seamless transition, I will remain actively engaged in supporting the preparations for Gido's onboarding.

As for BioNTech's next phase, our mission remains constant to translate science into survival. To achieve this, BioNTech has successfully built a diversified toolkit of modalities, including next-generation immunomodulators, ADCs, and mRNA cancer immunotherapies. Our multi-product portfolio has progressed further and a growing share of it now in late-stage clinical development and pivotal trials.

The second quarter was a period of significant progress for BioNTech towards this. First, we are accelerating the late-stage development of our oncology assets. We shared encouraging global data in first-line NSCLC from the Phase II portion of our Phase II-III trial At ASCO, from our potential next-generation IO backbone, Pometamic.

Second, our combination therapy strategy is gaining momentum. We have expanded our novel, novel combination programs and presented data from ongoing combination trials with our ADCs. There's more to come soon.

Third, we continue our shift from platform-centric to a tumor-centric clinical development approach around cancers with greatest unmet medical need. Notably, in our GU tumor area, we dose the first patient in our phase 3 trial, evaluating our B7H3 ADC, L-3-TAPA-DOSEN-TUCAN, formerly known as BNT324, In the metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

BioNTech is well positioned for the next phase. With a growing pipeline of potentially registrational trials, strong partnerships, and financial strength, we are on track to become a diversified multi-product company by 2030. We are targeting more than 17 late-stage and pivotal trial readouts through 2030 and beyond, Spanning multiple tumor types and different lines of treatment.

Our progress today sets us up for an impactful second half of 2026. We enter the remainder of this year with momentum and diligent execution as we continue to progress towards our long-term vision. With this, I will hand over to Eslam for an update on our oncology execution.

06:44

Ozlem TurechiChief Medical Officer and Co-Founder

Thank you, Ugo. I'm glad to be speaking with everyone today. Our ambition is to address the full continuum of cancer, utilizing the approaches that Ugo outlined. We have defined a tumor-focused strategy to address significant unmet medical need where our novel combinations can extend survival outcomes for patients and maximize the potential of our pipeline. As such, we are advancing multiple assets from our multimodal oncology pipeline into late-stage development. During the first half of 2026, we made progress across our pipeline, and I'll cover some of these updates today. I'll begin with lung cancer, which is one of the cancers of highest unmet medical need in the tumor area, where we have the broadest and most diverse coverage.

We are aiming to tackle unmet medical needs at every stage of the lung cancer patient journey. Our lung cancer strategy covers various disease stages, settings, and enlists various modalities, next-generation immunomodulators, ADCs, and mRNA cancer immunotherapy. For certain settings, we have multiple opportunities with the aim to change the standard of care and move forward with our combination strategy.

At the core of this tumor-based oncology strategy is Pumitemic, our investigational bispecific immunomodulator targeting PD-L1 and VGFA, now in development with our partner BMS. In lung cancer, we are now running four registrational programs for POMITAMEC. Rosetta Lung 01 in first-line extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer, and Rosetta Lung 02 in first-line non-small-cell lung cancer, where global phase 2 data were presented at ESCO. Rosetta Lung 202, our pivotal trial in first-line PD-L1 high non-small-cell lung cancer, is now enrolling. And Rosetta Lung 201, our pivotal trial in unresectable stage 3 non-small cell lung cancer, is also underway.

Moreover, we are generating novel-novel combination data to inform the first wave of combination trials with registrational intent. Zooming in on Pumitamik. Here, we again have pioneered by delivering the first global phase 2 data for a PD-L1-VEGF biospecific in first-line non-small-cell lung cancer. At ESCO in June, we presented phase 2 data from Rosetta Lung O2, our global randomized phase 2 free trial, evaluating Pumetamik in combination with chemotherapy in patients with previously untreated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. In 40 valuable patients with both squamous and non-squamous histology, Pumita Mycpast chemotherapy demonstrated robust clinical activity with unconfirmed and confirmed overall response rates for combined doses of 72.5% and 62.5% respectively. Two features of these data deserve particular emphasis.

First, the encouraging activity observed across PD-L1 expression levels is not worthy. Second, the particularly strong response rate in PD-L1 low disease across histologies. This includes patients with PD-L1 TPS less than 1% who represented approximately 58% of patients in this cohort, a subgroup typically with poor response to anti-PD-1 PD-L1 treatment. In that population, the confirmed objective response rate was 47.6%. In patients with TPS between 1 and 49%, it was 77.8%, and all six patients with TPS 50% or above responded.

The safety profile was manageable in both histologies with no new safety signals. These data support the ongoing global phase 3 program for Pumitamik in lung cancer. The robust clinical responses across PD-L1 strata align with our expectations. It speaks to the potential of Pumitamik to confer benefit in the all-comma patient population, including the PD-L1 low expression levels where unmet medical need is high. The Rosetta Lung O2 trial is currently recruiting in its phase three portion, and we look forward to presenting additional phase two data from this trial as the data mature.

The central question in the PD-1, PD-L1, BEGF class has been whether the clinical activity observed in trials conducted in China would be consistent with the data in global populations. We have been able to address that question with our own asset across three key tumor types in phase two trials.

Firstly, in first-line small cell lung cancer, the China phase 1-2 demonstrated a disease control rate of 94% and a confirmed overall response rate of 82%. With the global phase 2 trial, we showed a disease control rate of 100% and a confirmed objective response rate of 76%. Then there is the first line non-small cell lung cancer indication. We observed in the China monotherapy phase 1-2 a confirmed objective response rate of approximately 47% in PD-L1 positive patients. In the global phase 2 of Fumitamik Plus chemotherapy, which includes the PD-L1 unselected population, we saw a confirmed objective response rate of approximately 63%. In TMBC, the disease control rate was 92% in both the trials conducted in China and globally.

In the China Phase 1-2 in first-line TMBC, we reported a confirmed objective response rate of approximately 74%, and in the global Phase 2 cohort, which included a heterogeneous population of first and second-line patients, we reported a confirmed objective response rate of approximately 62%, as expected given the treatment-line population. Across these three tumor types of high unmet need, we are observing a meaningful consistency between the data generated in China and globally. While cross-trial comparisons must be interpreted with caution, we are encouraged by this cross-regional consistency. This gives us increased confidence in the global potential of FOMETAMIC. We are advancing multiple pivotal phase 3 programs to confirm these signals.

As covered here on our tumor map slide, we are deploying multiple modalities to tackle lung cancer. Gautistobart is a critical component of that map. As a reminder, Gautistobart is our selective T-REC depleting antibody targeting CTLA-4, developed in collaboration with our partner OncoC4. We are advancing Gotistobart through the pivotal second stage of Preserve 003, our global phase 3 in patients with metastatic suamose non-small cell lung cancer, who progressed following platinum-based chemotherapy and PD-L1 inhibitor treatment.

This is a setting with very few effective options and poor prognosis. Gautistobart's differentiated mechanism of selectively depleting regulatory T-cells in the tumor microenvironment is designed to re-engage the immune system even after prior checkpoint inhibitor exposure. Earlier this year, at ELCC, we presented updated data from the non-pivotal stage 1 of PRESERVE-003, our global phase 3 trial. The data are very encouraging The 12 PFS rate of 25 for gotistobab versus zero for docytaxel is a signal of durable disease control Gotistobart reduced the risk of death in this IO pretreated patient population by 54 compared to docetaxel with a hazard ratio of 0 The median OS in the Gotistobart arm has not yet been reached compared to approximately 10 months with docetaxel.

At 12 months, 63% of patients treated with gotistobat were alive, versus 30% in the docetaxel arm. The safety profile was consistent with the previously established profile for gotistobat, with no new signals of concern. We expect to present longer follow-up data at the World Lung Conference next month. Based on current event accrual projections, we expect to conduct the first interim analysis from the pivotal stage of the trial towards the end of this year. At ESCO this year, we presented overall survival data from the phase 2 study, evaluating gotistobard in combination with pembrolizumab in ovarian cancer patients who had received prior platinum-based chemotherapy. The data showed a compelling and differentiated signal with a median overall survival of 18.9 months.

Together, these data reinforce the potential of gotistobart to provide an extended overall survival benefit and serve as a potential chemo-free treatment option for lung patients. I will now turn to LVD or BNT324, our B7H3-targeted ADC developed in collaboration with Duality Bio.

B7H3 is overexpressed across multiple tumor types, including prostate cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, small cell lung cancer, and others. The target biology, combined with the pharmacology of a topo-1 inhibitor, ADC with drug-to-antibody ratio of 6, positions LVD as a potentially versatile oncology acid across a wide range of solid tumors. More than 1,000 patients have now been treated with LVD across more than 10 tumor types, including 400 patients treated with LVD in combination with Pumitamik. The growing body of clinical evidence demonstrates antitumor activity across multiple indications with a favorable safety profile.

This quarter, we dosed our first patient in the Phase III clinical trial for LVD, evaluating it against docetaxel in patients with texan-naive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is our first phase III indication for LVD, and it represents one of the strongest D7H3 expression profiles of any tumor type. The trial targets the patient population with substantial unmet need following progression on second-generation androgen receptor pathway inhibitors.

In parallel, LVD is being evaluated in combination with Bumitamik across multiple phase I-II programs. These results will help inform the optimal clinical design for upcoming registrational combination trials. We expect to present some of these data at a medical conference later this year. Moving now to our portfolio of innovative mRNA cancer immunotherapy, which aim to activate and educate the immune system with precision. Our individualized neoantigen-specific immunotherapy autogen savoumaran developed in collaboration with Genentech is advancing into ongoing randomized phase 2 trials. In adjuvant CT DNA stage 2 high-risk or stage 3 colorectal cancer, we have a phase 2 trial evaluating autogen savoumaran monotherapy against the standard of watchful weighting. Enrollment is now complete, and in June, an interim analysis based on the centrally assessed primary endpoint of disease-free survival was reviewed by the independent Data Safety Monitoring Board with the recommendation to continue the trial without modification.

Thus, the study will continue as planned per protocol, and we will remain masked to the data until the final analysis. The data readout from the final analysis of this trial is event-driven and expected in 2027. In adjuvant pancreatic cancer, recruitment for the Phase 2, EMCODE-003 trial is well underway. Data from the Phase 1 investigator-initiated trial, including a six-year update presented at AACR this year, continue to demonstrate durable immune responses against the encoded neoantigens for up to six years. Evidence that supports our therapeutic rationale in the adjuvant and minimal residual disease setting.

On our fixed-track platform, BNT113, our off-the-shelf HPV16 targeting immunotherapy, is advancing in the AHEAD MERIT Phase 2 free trial in combination with Pembrolizumab as a first-line treatment for patients with PD-L1 positive HPV16 positive head-neck squamous cell cancer. A phase three interim analysis is expected for PFS this year. For BNT116, our mRNA immunotherapy targeting multiple non-small cell lung cancer-associated antigens, we expect to present data at WCLC 2026 from cohort six in combination with semipremap and chemotherapy. These programs reflect our conviction that mRNA cancer immunotherapy, particularly in combination with checkpoint inhibition, can deliver meaningful benefit in defined patient populations.

In closing, today's review underscores the significant progress across our portfolio. We have reached multiple key milestones and continue to execute on plan in 2026 and beyond. Within our late-stage programs, we anticipate three further readouts this year. Gotistobard in squamous non-small cell lung cancer, our fixed-back immunotherapy BNT113 in head-neck cancer, and T-PUM in breast cancer. For Gotistobard, we expect a first interim analysis in late 2026 based on the projected event accrual rates. This initial review by the Independent Data Monitoring Committee is intended as an early checkpoint before the next pre-planned interim analysis. For BNT113, based on current event accrual projections, we expect a phase 3 interim analysis for progression-free survival later this year. Overall survival, which is the trial's other co-primary endpoint, is not expected to be mature at this interim.

TPAM is currently being advanced in two pivotal clinical trials, one in second-line endometrial cancer and one in HER2-low hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer. The candidate has generated encouraging data to date in both indications. With the primary analysis in breast cancer expected in the fourth quarter of 2026, we will determine the optimal regulatory pathway based on aggregated data across both indications. With this data-driven approach, we aim to pursue a value optimization strategy for TPEM in an evolving treatment landscape while prioritizing opportunities where we can deliver significant benefit for patients. Following our mid-year review of upcoming late-stage milestones, we have updated the expected timing for the Phase III Pumetermic trial in triple-negative breast cancer in China and for the Phase II gotistobar trial in second-line castration-resistant prostate cancer, both of which are now expected in 2027.

With regards to our earlier stage novel novel readouts, we have already published data on some of those combinations and expect more soon. I want to highlight one data set that is strategically significant for our ambitions in lung. The upcoming readout for the Phase 1-2 trial evaluating Pumitamik in combination with L4D, our B7H3 ADC, across advanced non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer. This will be the first clinical data for a PD-L1 VEGFA bispecific antibody in combination with an antibody drug conjugate in lung cancer. The combination brings together two mechanistically distinct and potentially synergistic approaches, the immune reactivation enabled by Pumitamik with the targeted cytotoxic payload of LVD. We execute these earlier combination studies to provide the signal-seeking evidence we need to inform and potentially de-risk our next steps.

This data generation will guide the entry of our novel-novel combination strategy into the pivotal stage, and it is the foundation of the next chapter towards BioNTech's growing leadership in oncology.

With that, I will now turn the presentation over to our CFO, Ramon Zapata, for the financial update.

25:12

Ramon ZapataChief Financial Officer

Thank you, Oslen, and a warm welcome to everyone joining us. I will cover three topics today. Firstly, our second quarter and first half 2026 financials. Secondly, our full year 2026 financial guidance. And lastly, the execution of our share purchase program announced in May, this year as part of our capital allocation strategy. Note that all figures will be in euros unless otherwise states.

Starting with the second quarter financial performance, revenues for the second quarter of 2026 were $106 million, compared to $261 million in the prior year floor. This decline mainly reflects lower demand for our COVID-19 vaccine in the U. S. In addition, the prior year quarter was positively impacted by a runtime revenue effect. This related to a compensation payment from Pfizer opting out from our shingles vaccine development program.

Moving to R&D, adjusted R&D expenses decreased to $477 million from $509 million in the prior This change mainly reflects the execution of our discipline prioritization across the portfolio. Lower spending on non-focus programs, together with favorable cost-sharing effects from our collaboration partners, supported an efficient cost structure. At the same time, we will continue to invest in our prioritizing on oncology and ADC programs, including Fumitamid and Gotistovals.

Moving to SDNA. SDNA expenses on an adjusted and IFRS basis were $198 million, compared to $137 million in the prior year's work. This increase was mainly driven by a global initiative on scaling our processes and ERP infrastructure to strengthen efficient operational execution and our ongoing pre-launch activities for late-stage programs. Our cost base in 2026 also reflects the inclusion of QRRAC operations post-mergence. At the same time, we continue to realize meaningful savings through pipeline prioritization measures and enhance cost discipline across the organization. When comparing IFRS and adjusted results overall, the key adjustments are as follows. Within R&D expenses, the difference is driven by impairment charges related to intangible assets outside our focus programs.

Within other operating results, the difference relates to actions we are taking following our manufacturing footprint consolidation, the decision we announced in May. The costs are mainly employee-related expenses and impairment charges. These charges reflect our progression from announcing that decision to actively executing. While these costs weigh on our near-term results, they are a deliberate investment in reshaping our future prospects. We are positioning the company for enhanced operational efficiency and expect sustainable savings going forward. Importantly, we are acting from a position of strength, allowing us to make these adaptations proactively, We will now turn the call over to management for the BIONTech SE earnings conference. From the quarterly view to our year-to-date financials, comparing the performance of the first half of 2026 with the prior year period.

The drivers are mostly in line with the factors I have described for the quarter. In the first half of 2026, revenues were $224 million. While we expect the seasonal facing of the COVID-19 vaccine business throughout the year, as mentioned, this decline mainly reflects lower demand in the viewers. Secondly, lower adjusted R&D expenses of $1,004 million in comparison to the prior year period reflect our focused R&D investment approach in our prioritized programs and positive cost-sharing effects with our collaboration partners. Thirdly, higher adjusted SGA expenses of $349 million reflect the ongoing pre-launch activities and commercial buildup for our first oncology launches, as well as costs newly incorporated in 2026, like our ERP infrastructure initiative that I already mentioned.

As we look to the second half of the year, we are taking a disciplined view on our full-year outlook. We anticipate changes in some of the factors driving our business and are revising our previously disclosed full year 2026 financial guidance. We now expect revenues in the range of to billion adjusted R expenses in the range of to billion and adjusted SDNA expenses remaining unchanged in the range of to million I will now detail the factors driving our revised revenue guidance. While COVID-19 has been endemic for some time, we continue to monitor the evolving vaccine market and expect softer than anticipated global COVID-19 vaccine demand. In addition, the European Medicines Agency recommendation issued in May allows the use of the previous yes vaccine formula as an alternative to the newly recommended XFG variant adapted vaccines.

This year, for the first time, Germany will utilize previously manufactured on stock vaccine doses for the upcoming vaccination season. As a result, we expect significantly reduced sales in Germany this week. Also, the timing of milestone-related revenues resulting from an out-licensed R&D program, which are no longer expected in 2026. In terms of revenue facing for the rest of the year, we continue to expect the majority of our 2026 revenues to be realized in the second half of the year, specifically in the third quarter when we expect to recognize the 613 million BMS collaboration payments.

Moving to operating expenses, we have revised our adjusted R&D expenses to the range of $2 to $2.3 billion. This reflects our focus on optimizing our R&D resources and continued cost discipline as we prioritize the development of our late-stage clinical pipeline. We expect these cost savings based on prioritization and optimization to continue into future years. Our assumption for adjusted SDNA expenses remain unchanged in the range of $700 to $800 million as we continue to gradually build out our commercial capabilities.

Despite these changes, our strong balance sheet and discipline cost management position us well to continue investing in Strativica. Turning to my final slide, I'm giving you an update on the execution of our capital allocation framework, which we presented during our first quarter earnings call. Our approach remains clear and disciplined, centered on three priorities.

First, focus on the investment. Second, disciplined capital deployment. As well as third, optimized operational efficiency and sustainable value creation. We are executing against these priorities with consistency and intent. As shown on the slide, with respect to the second pillar, we started the execution on our up to $1 billion share repurchase program and repurchased an amount of $152 million so far. This execution reflects our conviction in the intrinsic value of Biontech, while importantly, we retain full optionality to advance a pipeline, execute on partnerships, and pursue corporate development opportunities. Taken together, our strong financial position and these three pillars of our capital allocation strategy continue to serve as a clearly defined long-term objective to become a global multi-product compound, addressing the high medical needs of cancer patients worldwide.

On a final note, regarding the announcement of Uber and Roslame new company and potential contributions by BioNTech, here the discussions are ongoing and, as with all potential deals, BioNTech's driving principle in the negotiations is to maximize value for patients and our shareholders.

With that, I will hand back to the operator to open the call for questions.

Questions and answers

33:43

Thank you. Thank you. To ask a question, please press star 1 1 on your telephone and wait for your name to be announced. To withdraw your question, please press star 1 and 1 again. We kindly ask analysts to limit themselves to one question per person. We will now take our first question.

34:28

Cory KasimovAnalyst, Evercore ISI

From the line of Corey Kazimov from Evercore ISI, please go ahead. Hey, good morning, everyone. Thank you for taking my question. I wanted to ask on LVD, the B7H3 ADC candidate, and what data that you've seen that prompted the decision to choose metastatic CRPC as the first indication for Phase III development, and kind of what gives you the confidence that you have a Thank you very much.

Thank you, Corey.

35:02

Ugur SahinChief Executive Officer and Co-Founder

Oslen, will you please answer the question from Corey? Hi, Corey. I can take the question.

35:13

Ozlem TurechiChief Medical Officer and Co-Founder

So what is very encouraging for our B7H3 is the combination of durable disease control plus the SOFI excellent safety profile that we are seeing for this B7H3. I will now turn the call over to the B7H3. To remind you, various ADCs come either with challenges related to hematose suppression, stomatitis, or ILDs. And with our B7H3 ADC, we see a very tolerable safety profile, allowing us not only to get disease control, temporary disease control with this compound, but enable long-term application.

36:05

Ugur SahinChief Executive Officer and Co-Founder

We have a range of patients who have been those now for more than a year without significant, significant ILD events of just as well. And if I may add to that, Corey, we have presented this data at ESCO25 and ESCOGO26, also follow-up data from our heavily pretreated population, which we have tested in a phase one, two study, which is still ongoing.

36:39

Cory KasimovAnalyst, Evercore ISI

Great. Thank you very much.

36:39

Thank you.

36:39

Unidentified AnalystAnalyst, Bank of America

We will now take our next question from the land of Tasin Ahmad from Bank of America. Please go ahead. Hi, good morning. Thanks Thanks for taking my question. Can you just give us a sense about the data updates that are expected for the remainder of the year? Can you just remind us how your updated guidance for what data to expect has changed since earlier in the year? Specifically, are we still expecting Pumi China Phase 3 data for triple negative breast cancer this year? And then should there be any expectation that this data would be presented in a press release versus just released at a medical meeting? Thanks.

37:30

Ozlem TurechiChief Medical Officer and Co-Founder

So, with regard to changed milestones and specifically also the China interim analysis test scene for First Line TNBC, we are continuously monitoring events, and the data readouts are event-driven. And in our China TNBC study, we observed that the events take longer, so the readout is pushed out to 2027, which is in principle is also actually a good sign for us. And then another study which will come a bit later with regard to its readout is our Pumita study in first-line CRCC in China, which is a phase two study. Here we have decided to look in more chemo combinations than originally planned, so they are added on top of this. And another readout which is now projected for 2027 is the Gotis-Tobard phase 2 and second-line positive prostate cancer.

And the reason is that we want to see more maturity.

39:07

Ugur SahinChief Executive Officer and Co-Founder

Major milestones and reach-outs this year are the Grotis-Boward interim analysis for part two, meaning the pivotal part of our non-small cell lung cancer study in squamous non-small cell lung cancer, And then the second line in combination with docetaxel. So we are excited about that. Yes, as a control, we are excited about that. Then the BNT113 trial, where we expect the phase three The analysis for progression to survival data this year and the T-PAM study in HER2-Low hormone receptor positive metastatic breast cancer.

40:04

Thank you.

40:09

Unidentified AnalystAnalyst, UBS

We will now take the next question from the line of David from UBS. Please go ahead. Oh, great. Thank you for taking my questions. I just on a permit to make a plus chemo in frontline non-small cell lung cancer, we've seen some encouraging phase two data so far, especially showing transformation from China to global. I'm just curious, you know, what additional preclinical evidence or, let's say, efficacy, safety, or your biomarker features that give you confidence I will now turn the call over to management for the BIONTech SE.

40:49

Ozlem TurechiChief Medical Officer and Co-Founder

Maybe I take the question. With regard to the biospecific class, they have one thing in common that they both, due to the Due to the biospecific activity, enable either improved binding to PD-1 or to PD-L1. We have one feature which we believe is differentiating with our molecule binding to PD-L1 in the tumor microenvironment.

41:26

Ugur SahinChief Executive Officer and Co-Founder

This gives us, in principle, the opportunity to have a double tumor microenvironment to microenvironment directed compound. Whether this translates at the end of the day to a differentiated efficacy, we have to see there are, of course, no head-to-head trials here. We believe that the two differentiation will come with the overall portfolio in which we We combine, combine Pumetamix not only with Schema therapy, but with a differentiated set of ADCs and other compounds.

42:09

Thank you.

42:09

Unidentified AnalystAnalyst, Leerink Partners

We will now take our next question from the line of Dinah Graebusch from Leering Partners. Please go ahead. Hi, thank you for the question. I wonder if you could help us understand your T-PAM comments more. Give us a detail. Is there a specific outcome or threshold in the HER2 low breast cancer you're looking to exceed, and how various outcomes from that study could impact your strategy forward with regulators and potentially launching T-PAM?

42:45

Ozlem TurechiChief Medical Officer and Co-Founder

So our TPAM program, as you know, is broader. We are developing TPAM in endometrial cancer second line and in breast cancer with our phase three trial in hormone receptor positive or HER2 low. And we have what is also important to note ongoing signal-seeking studies of T-Pen with Pumita in different breast cancer patient segments, which is an important part of the strategy. Ultimately, our ABCs are part of our portfolio because of their potential to further elevate Pumita and allow us to leapfrog. With regard to our breast cancer study, the benchmarks are, if you compare with published benchmarks, A median PFS in the range of 9 to 13 months and 18 months median OS of around 85 percent, according to other studies in this indication, and approved treatments.

44:21

Thank you.

44:21

Jeff MeachamAnalyst, Citigroup

We will now take the next question from the line of Jeff Meacham from Citigroup. Please go ahead. Hey, everyone. Thanks for the question. I just had a bigger picture one on capital deployment. You guys have a substantial cash position, but you're also streamlining the pipeline with the cost savings initiative. So on the latter, I guess, can you talk a little bit about, you know, what your sort of North Star is in this? Is it deprioritizing, overlapping indications? Are you eliminating some earlier stuff based on competitive landscape? I just want to get a sense for the strategy there. Thank you.

45:08

Ramon ZapataChief Financial Officer

Hi thank you for the question So I think because of the cash position that we have and the strength of our balance sheet we are able to take on the number of pivotal and phase three trials that we are running now with POMITA and the strategy with our partners is to add on these efforts as much as possible to really I will widen the net of all the indications where we can use Pumita and the Nobel combinations So I would say that our capital allocation priorities remain unchanged We continue to fully fund our priority pipeline and the commercial capabilities needed to support these upcoming launches.

Second, we maintain the flexibility to pursue attractive external opportunities that have the potential to strengthen our portfolio or our capabilities. And third, we continue to return capital to shareholders through the authorized share buyback program that we announced last quarter. So on your comment on portfolio optimization, we continually review our pipeline to ensure that the resources are focused on the areas with the greatest strategic and value creation potential. And that means continuing to invest behind our core programs while reducing or stopping investment in non-core assets where we feel it's appropriate.

46:32

Ozlem TurechiChief Medical Officer and Co-Founder

And maybe I can add here another aspect. So this year is the year of combination trials where we evaluate Pumita-Meg in combination with our larger ADC portfolio. The results of the studies, of course, will provide further prioritization of the best combinations, thereby reducing maybe the investment in some of the ADCs in certain indications. So the overlap at the moment is by purpose, to identify the winners. In 2027, we expect that we will have identified the winners and engage into several phase three clinical trials, including assets from our partner BMS.

47:30

Jeff MeachamAnalyst, Citigroup

Great. Thank you.

47:31

Thank you.

47:31

Akash TewariAnalyst, Jefferies

We will now take the next question from the line of Akash to Wari from Jefferies. Please go ahead. Hey, thanks so much. So you have three interim phase two readouts expected in the second half of this year. You have your HER2, your CCLA-4, and then your head and neck cancer vaccine. Can you talk about your confidence on a positive interim analysis for each of these programs? Is there a particular program where maybe the team's internal view is particularly bullish? Thanks so much.

48:03

Ozlem TurechiChief Medical Officer and Co-Founder

It's a difficult question, so we have to see the data, but we have positive. We have, of course, positive expectations for each of the trials. You know that if the data for gothistobot that we have seen in the first part of the phase three clinical trial is recapitulated, this would become a game changing result in this indication. Everyone knows that the Cetaxel remained unbeaten for decades now, and this would be the first time that if the data are recapitulated, we would have a significant benefit with a mono compound as compared to the standard of care.

Thank you.

49:01

We will now take the next question.

49:05

Terence FlynnAnalyst, Morgan Stanley

From the line of Terence Flynn from Morgan Stanley, please go ahead. Hi, thanks for taking the question. Appreciate the update on your INEST CRC data coming next year, but was wondering if you could help us think about potential read-through from the Moderna-Merc INT adjuvant melanoma phase 3 data that we might get this year. So what would you be looking for In that data to give you confidence in your own iNEST program. Thank you.

49:41

Ozlem TurechiChief Medical Officer and Co-Founder

So in terms of biology and indication, we don't see any read-through opportunities. Melanoma versus colorectal cancer, these are very different biologies and indications and responsiveness to immunotherapy. And in particular, antigen-specific T-cell antigens. We remain committed to the way we are conducting together with our partner Genentech. Our program focusing on adjuvant settings, focusing also on cancers, We are checkpoint inhibition immunotherapy has a lower probability of success and does not serve the medical need. And, you know, new antigen vaccines are not created equal. So it's difficult to read from one platform to the other.

50:57

Thank you.

50:57

Jessica FyeAnalyst, JP Morgan

We will now take the next question from the line of Jessica Fai from JP Morgan. Please go ahead. Great. Good morning, guys. Thanks for taking my question. Ramon, I was hoping you could, hoping you'd help us out with the 400 million reduction to guidance at the midpoint. Can you just quantify how much of the change was driven by the milestone push out versus the What is the German decision to use existing inventory and how much is just softer COVID demand? And then what specifically was the partner milestone that was pushed out? Thank you.

51:38

Ramon ZapataChief Financial Officer

Thank you for the question. Most of the adjustment of the guidance is a reflection of the weaker COVID-19 vaccination rates and the current regulatory and public health environment. It's really incorporating the latest input from our partners and the teams that are operating in our key market. I would like to remind you that the COVID revenue is back-ended, back-end weighted into the late Q3 and Q4. So this will only reflect until then. And also we're expecting approximately 613 million revenues from the BMS collaboration that is also giving us a I will now turn the call over to management for the second half of the year. So based on the information currently available, we believe that this revised range is appropriate.

Now, in relation to the comment of the license milestones that we were expecting, yeah, we were expecting that as well at the second half of the year, but it's not the key driver of the revenue adjustment. So it's mainly lower demand across every market. And then specifically for Germany, it impacts us a little bit different because Germany is a direct market versus the other countries that are Pfizer-managed markets. So then we get the impact on our revenues a little bit more acute than versus the other markets. So I would say, if you would think about percentage, 80% is COVID-related completely, and then the rest is the loss of the outlicensed milestones that we were expecting.

53:24

Thank you. Thank you.

53:26

Yaron WerberAnalyst, TD Cowen

We will now take the next question from the line of Yaron Werber from TD Cohen. Please go ahead. Great. Thank you. I wanted to ask about Rosetta Lung O2. Clinicaltrials. gov is showing data in 2029, but you changed the endpoint now to PFS and not OS. Is there any chance that we can get this data potentially earlier and any sense when you might finish the enrollment? Thank you.

53:56

Ozlem TurechiChief Medical Officer and Co-Founder

We can't at the moment not speculate on when to expect the data. As compared to waiting for OS, it will be obviously earlier that PFS reads out, but we don't have any guidance for the final readout yet.

54:19

Yaron WerberAnalyst, TD Cowen

Maybe can you just remind us when you change the endpoint, did the interim analysis change in any way?

54:19

Ozlem TurechiChief Medical Officer and Co-Founder

Anything you can share would be great. Thank you. With the change endpoint and the interim analysis for PFS, we've become now an opportunity to file if it's positive. We can't still, so it is, as I said, it is expected to read out earlier than the interim OS. But we can't at the moment say when we are going to expect, because this is again an event-driven trial, and it's the first time in this indication that we evaluate the sludge population.

55:15

Thank you.

55:15

Unidentified AnalystAnalyst, BMO Capital Markets

We will now take the next question from the line of Evan Seigerman from BMO Capital Markets. Please go ahead. Hi, this is Evan on for Evan. Thanks for taking our question.

55:27

Ozlem TurechiChief Medical Officer and Co-Founder

Just one from us. So as you think about the broader opportunity for primitimids, can you discuss how the asset might be differentiated in MSS-CRC given the historically limited efficacy of checkpoint inhibitors And then also, what gives you confidence that PUMI's mechanism could overcome these past challenges? Thank you. Yeah. To provide, because we do not yet have data in CSC, the strongest evidence that PUMI-TAMIC The Biospecific class is differentiated, comes from the observations of objective response rate, but also durable disease control in patient populations who are PDI-1 negative. For example, in TNBC, we have documented data showing more or less the same rates of objective response in the patient in PD-L1 positive, PD-L1 low positive, and PD-L1 high positive patient population.

So, CSE is an indication in which checkpoint blockade was not successful. We We have now this combination, and we have to see from our interim analysis, which is coming in 2027, we are going to test, or we are testing at the moment, different chemotherapy combinations whether this translates to better data as compared to traditional benchmarks with chemotherapy But the broader Prometheamic Opportunity, again, is based on the one side improving response rate and durable disease control and OS in indications where checkpoint blockade PD-1 is approved, Opening up indications in which PD-1 treatments are not approved. And as a third component, combining Prometanik as a potential next standard of care with a new generation of ADCs that allow disease control, even in advanced disease, Yeah, with a good safety profile.

58:24

Thank you.

58:24

Mohit BansalAnalyst, Wells Fargo

We will now take the next question from the line of Mohit Bansal from Wells Fargo. Please go ahead. Great. Thank you very much for taking my question. I have a question regarding screen versus non-screen. So there will be a lot of data coming this year from competitors as well. So the first trial that I'm reading out is for SQAM lung cancer for VEGF PD-1. My question is, how much read-through there could be for the non-SPAM program if SQAMs were to be successful, and what specifically you would be looking at the competitor data to gain confidence in your own programs or think about the future trials? Thank you.

59:12

Ozlem TurechiChief Medical Officer and Co-Founder

Thank you. With regard to the read-through, in principle, these histologies are like different diseases, right? So we would be very cautious to read from data in squamous to non-squamous or vice versa. So we really need to produce the clinical data for both histologies and in our Rosetta Lung O2 trial, for example, we have therefore also separated both histologies in subtrials. But on the other side, the data, our own data, but also the data coming from Ivo, indicate that both in both indications, PFS is improved. And we have seen now in the recent update that the improved PFS appears also to translate into OS signals in other indications. So we are cautiously optimistic that we will see in both indications PFS benefits and OS benefits.

1:00:42

Thank you. This was our final question. This concludes today's conference call. Thank you for participating. You may now disconnect.

Done reading? Open BioNTech with the chart, filings, and estimates next to this call.

About this transcript

The summary, guidance, analyst focus, and tone are automated and should be checked against the call before being relied on. Names and figures can be misheard. Listen to the replay.