BioNTech says it can make mutation-beating vaccine in six weeks

Published December 22, 2020 5:16pm

Ugur Sahin, CEO and co-founder of German biotech firm BioNTech, is interviewed by journalists in Marburg, Germany September 17, 2020. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer/File Photo

BERLIN — The co-founder of BioNTech said Tuesday it was "highly likely" that its vaccine against the coronavirus works against the mutated strain detected in Britain, but it could also adapt the vaccine if necessary in six weeks.

The German firm developed one of the COVID-19 vaccines now in use, in partnership with US firm Pfizer.

"Scientifically, it is highly likely that the immune response by this vaccine also can deal with the new virus variant," said Ugur Sahin.

But if needed, "in principle the beauty of the messenger technology is that we can directly start to engineer a vaccine which completely mimics this new mutation—we could be able to provide a new vaccine technically within six weeks." — Agence France-Presse

Tags: BioNTech, COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccines