BioNTech and BMS partner to advance oncology deal worth over $10 billion
Posted: 3 June 2025 | Catherine Eckford (European Pharmaceutical Review) | No comments yet
The agreement involves an immunotherapy candidate with potential to innovate treatment of multiple tumour types, stated BMS.
BioNTech SE and Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) have agreed a collaboration to advance a bispecific antibody, setting the stage for a potential new standard of care in cancer.
BMS will pay BioNTech $1.5 billion upfront and $2 billion total in non-contingent anniversary payments through 2028. As part of the deal, BioNTech is also eligible for up to $7.6 billion in additional milestones.
Details of the transaction between BioNTech and Bristol Myers Squibb
Under the agreement, the companies will co-develop and co-commercialise BioNTech’s investigational BNT327 PD-L1xVEGF-A bispecific antibody to treat solid tumours. This includes development of BNT327 as standalone treatment as well as a combination therapy.
BioNTech’s next-generation bispecific antibody BNT327 is anticipated to begin evaluation in a Phase III trial in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) by the end of the year.
“We believe BNT327 has the potential to become a foundational immuno-oncology backbone, moving beyond single-mechanism checkpoint inhibitors and expanding into multiple solid-tumour indications”
“We believe BNT327 has the potential to become a foundational immuno-oncology backbone, moving beyond single-mechanism checkpoint inhibitors and expanding into multiple solid-tumour indications,” commented Dr Ugur Sahin, Professor, CEO and Co-Founder of BioNTech. “Our focus remains on advancing high-impact, pan-tumour programmes and combination strategies in oncology, with BNT327 complementing our antibody-drug conjugate programmes and mRNA-based immunotherapies.”
“The science behind BNT327 and its leading clinical position in multiple hard-to-treat tumour types, further bolsters our pursuit of novel mechanisms and multiple modalities in oncology, and enhances our growth trajectory,” stated Christopher Boerner, PhD, Board Chair and CEO of Bristol Myers Squibb.
This news follows Bristol Myers Squibb’s announcement in March in which it agreed an oncology-focused merger worth nearly $300 million. In addition to the proposed transaction, Bristol Myers Squibb is developing the CAR T therapy Abecma in collaboration with 2seventy bio.
Additionally, BioNTech commitment last month is set to expand its long-term partnership with the UK Government.
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