Frankfurt (AFP)

The German laboratory BioNTech announced on Monday its intention to set up an mRNA production plant in Singapore from which several hundred million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine will be obtained.

BioNTech plans to "set up a fully integrated mRNA production facility in Singapore" in order to be able "to respond quickly to potential pandemic dangers if necessary," according to a statement.

The Mainz company, allied with the American Pfizer in the development of the vaccine, also plans to base its headquarters for Southeast Asia in Singapore.

Subject to obtaining the necessary approval, BioNTech expects the future site, with highly automated mRNA production, to be operational in 2023 and create up to 80 jobs in Singapore.

For BioNTech, this will be the first plant to be installed outside Europe, after the one it operates in Marburg, Germany.

Its partner Pfizer has a production site in the United States and another in Europe, in Puurs, Belgium.

“Having different nodes in our production network is an important strategic step in expanding our global presence,” said Ugur Sahin, CEO and co-founder of BioNTech, in a statement.

The opening of a BioNTech branch in Southeast Asia represents a further step in the international expansion of the biotechnology company following the opening of a US headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

BioNTech said last week it could produce up to 3 billion doses this year and more than 3 billion next year.

After the American proposal to lift the patents on anti-Covid vaccines, the bosses of BioNTech and Pfizer judged that this would not make it possible to increase the production of their serum, which is particularly complex to manufacture.

© 2021 AFP