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German biotechnology company BioNTech’s Turkish founders, Ugur Sahin and Ozlem Tureci, plan to step down from their executive roles to establish a new company focused on next-generation messenger RNA (mRNA) technologies, the German biotechnology firm said Tuesday.
The Turkish couple, who founded the company in 2008, will leave their current positions after their service agreements end in 2026. The company stated that it has begun searching for successors to fill the chief executive officer role held by Sahin and the chief medical officer position led by Tureci to ensure a smooth leadership transition as it continues its strategy.
The planned venture will operate as an independent company with its own funding and operations. BioNTech said it intends to contribute certain mRNA technologies and related rights to support the development of new mRNA-based treatments.
The founders believe the timing is right to hand over leadership after building the company into a global biopharmaceutical group. "Over the past 18 years, we have built BioNTech from a start-up into a global biopharmaceutical company with a strong and diversified pipeline," Sahin said. "For us, this is the right time to prepare to hand over the baton."
He added that the new venture aims to pursue future scientific breakthroughs. "Ozlem and I are ready to become pioneers once again. Our vision has always been to translate our science into meaningful advances for patients."
Helmut Jeggle, chairman of BioNTech’s supervisory board, said the move could benefit both organizations by allowing each to pursue separate scientific priorities.
"We support them in taking the opportunity to apply their strengths and undivided attention to a new venture dedicated to enabling mRNA-based technologies to reach their full potential," Jeggle said.
The leadership change comes as BioNTech sharpens its focus on advancing and bringing therapies from its clinical pipeline to market, particularly mRNA-based cancer treatments, amid mounting financial pressure and declining profits.
Net losses widened 57% in 2025 to €1.1 billion, compared with €665.3 million the previous year. Revenue edged up 3.5% to €2.9 billion from 2024 levels, though the company expects it to fall to between €2 billion and €2.3 billion this year.
Despite the financial strain, the commercial success of its COVID-19 vaccine partnership with Pfizer left BioNTech with strong reserves. Cash and financial securities totaled €17.2 billion at the end of 2025.
Looking ahead, BioNTech plans to run 15 Phase 3 oncology trials by year-end, with several late-stage data readouts expected in 2026 across multiple cancer types. These results are set to inform regulatory submissions and potential product launches.
Its development pipeline includes immunomodulators, antibody-drug conjugates, and mRNA-based treatments. The firm said its ongoing trials and COVID-19 vaccine business will not be affected by the founders’ plans to start a separate venture.
BioNTech gained global recognition during the pandemic after developing one of the first mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines to receive regulatory approval, turning the company from a research-focused biotech into a global pharmaceutical player.
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