The German biotechnology company BioNTech estimated on Monday to be able to produce "2 billion doses" of the vaccine against Covid-19 by the end of 2021. An estimate that is significantly higher than the previous one, thanks in particular to the start-up of a new European production site.

German biotechnology company BioNTech estimated on Monday to be able to produce "2 billion doses" of the Covid-19 vaccine by the end of 2021, significantly more than the previous target of 1.3 billion doses.

The German SME, associated with the American giant Pfizer, arrived at this new estimate by taking into account the "new standard" allowing the administration of 6 doses per bottle instead of 5, according to a document posted on its website.

BioNTech is also counting on "the expansion of its current facilities", including the commissioning, expected at the end of February, of another European production site, in Marburg, Germany.

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This new plant, described as a "major inflection point" by the company, will add "up to 750 million doses" to annual production capacity.

The Marburg site, the second in Germany, could already provide 250 million additional doses in the first half of the year, reinforcing the Belgian plant in Puurs where batches for the EU are produced.

The German-American alliance also has three production sites in the United States.

A major challenge as pre-orders soar

The quantity of doses available is one of the major challenges of a vaccination strategy against Covid-19 at the global level.

Today's announcement comes as the European Commission Brussels announced last Wednesday a new agreement with the Pfizer-BioNTech duo, providing for a firm pre-order of 200 million additional doses of their anti-Covid vaccine, with an option for 100 millions more.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said last Friday that it is possible to extract six doses per vial of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19 with the appropriate syringes, thus increasing the capacity for the use of vaccines already ordered.

The launch of the vaccination is the subject of criticism in several European countries - especially in France, where the campaign started very slowly, and in Germany, where doctors deplore that hospital staff are not given priority due to a lack of large doses. sufficient.