- BioNTech SE (NASDAQ:BNTX) represents a superb example of the old adage "timing is everything." From its relatively humble IPO about a year ago, it now sports a $25B market cap as a U.S. EUA nod looms for COVID-19 vaccine candidate BNT162b2 [co-developed with Pfizer (NYSE:PFE)].
- Last year, it initially planned to sell 13.2M American Depositary Shares (ADSs) between $18 and $20 per ADS but scaled the IPO back to 10M shares at $15 - $16 due to soft demand, settling on the lower price at offering. Shares closed on October 10, the first trading day, at $14.24 down 5%. The $150M debut valued the company at $3.4B. Subsequent equity offerings followed. Shares closed yesterday at $106.45 up 648% since the first day close.
- In July 2019, it raised $325M, one of the largest private financing rounds in history for a European biotech.
- The company first partnered with Pfizer in 2018 to develop mRNA vaccines against influenza but added COVID-19 in March of this year.
- Earlier this week, the companies announced results from a pivotal study of BNT162b2 that showed it to be 90% effective in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection. Pfizer expects to file for emergency use authorization (EUA) in the U.S. as early as month-end. An FDA nod may happen before the year is out.