BioNTech’s vaccine manufacturing plant in Kigali is set for $145 million (Approximately Rwf188 billion)in funding, which will help the firm to boost efforts toward mRNA vaccine research and development,clinical, and commercial-scale manufacturing capabilities.

According to the German biotechnology vaccine manufacturer, the capabilities will contribute to efforts to better prepare for potential future epidemic and pandemic threats in Africa.

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The development follows a newly inked partnership between BioNTech and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which both parties described as a strategic move to contribute to building a sustainable and resilient end-to-end African vaccine ecosystem.

CEPI is a foundation that takes donations from public, private, philanthropic, and civil society organisations, to finance independent research projects that develop vaccines against emerging infectious diseases.

Under the new partnership, CEPI is committing $145 million. At the same time, BioNTech intends to provide affordable access to its preventive vaccines manufactured at the Kigali facility, such as vaccines against malaria, mpox, and tuberculosis.

BioNTech’s commercial-scale manufacturing facility in Kigali was first announced in 2021 and inaugurated in December 2023. The 300,000 square meters facility is based on the company’s digitally enabled modular manufacturing units called BioNTainers, designed to manufacture a range of mRNA-based vaccines.

Why it matters

According to Dr Richard Hatchett, chief executive officer at CEPI, Africa still has to import 99 per cent of all the vaccines it needs to protect its people from potentially deadly diseases, meaning many are left waiting far too long to get the life-saving doses they need.

"This must change if the world is going to avoid the terrible inequity of vaccine distribution that so clearly exacerbated the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he noted.

"Through our joint commitment to equitable access, CEPI’s investment in BioNTech’s forward-looking efforts in Africa will boost regional capacity for end-to-end research, development, and rapid manufacturing of mRNA vaccines,” Hatchett added.

The new partnership is expected to potentially contribute to Africa’s resilience and pandemic readiness and could dramatically alter the course of future outbreaks on the continent.

According to Ugur Sahin, BioNTech Co-founder and chief executive, the new partnership is an important next step in the company’s strategy towards sustainable mRNA vaccine manufacturing in Africa.

"Our joint efforts are strengthening the implementation of a local mRNA vaccine ecosystem, covering the entire spectrum from research and clinical trials to commercial production,” he said.

Sahin maintained that, "This, along with our continued efforts to develop mRNA vaccines against diseases like tuberculosis, malaria, HIV, and mpox is aimed at bringing lasting health benefits to millions of people in Africa.”

He shared similar sentiments with Rwanda’s Minister of Health, Sabin Nsanzimana, who pointed out that the country is committed to tackling vaccine inequities that were exposed during the pandemic.

"We believe this innovative partnership we are building can be a demonstration to the world that Africa is not only building resilience for future pandemics but also creating a sustainable clinical ecosystem across Africa using the most advanced mRNA technology,” Nsanzimana said.

BioNTech’s vaccine manufacturing facilities in Rwanda, inaugurated last year in December, have the capacity to produce more than 50 million doses annually for regular public supply or during a pandemic, or they can also be used to produce 10,000 mRNA doses for clinical trials.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Director General, reiterated that the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the risks to global health when the production of vaccines and other tools is concentrated in too few hands.

He indicated that strengthening local and regional production, especially in Africa and the Middle East, is critical for ensuring a more equitable response to future epidemics and pandemics, and for fighting other persistent health challenges.

"Public-private partnerships like this are part of a growing global movement, bringing together companies, foundations, and countries to diversify production and make the world a safer place,” he noted.

The key areas

The BioNTech-CEPI partnership aims to back the latter’s existing efforts in three key areas for Africa’s pandemic preparedness and vaccine ecosystem.

They include commercial-scale manufacturing, end-to-end clinical-scale manufacturing of novel vaccine candidates, and strengthening the continent’s research and development ecosystem for mRNA-based vaccines.