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Demand for the vaccine, 3.6 billion doses of which have been
shipped globally, is waning as most people in the Western world
have received three or four shots already.
However, booster campaigns using upgraded shots specifically
targeting the Omicron variant are expected to increase demand in
autumn. Pending regulatory approval, BioNTech said, both of its
adapted vaccines would be available in time for the campaigns.
Second-quarter revenue and net profit both dropped by around 40%
from a year earlier, to 3.2 billion euros ($3.26 billion) and
1.672 billion euros, respectively.
The company reaffirmed its 2022 vaccine revenue guidance of 13
to 17 billion euros, down from 19 billion last year. Partner
Pfizer at the end of last month forecast $32 billion in
full-year COVID-19 vaccine sales.
"With our strong performance year to date, we believe to be well
on track to achieve our previous financial guidance for the
ongoing financial year," said Jens Holstein, chief financial
officer of BioNTech.
"With our initiatives around variant-adapted COVID-19 vaccine
candidates, we expect an uptake in demand in our key markets in
the fourth quarter of 2022, subject to regulatory approval."
BioNTech and Pfizer submitted one of the adapted vaccines, which
targets the BA.1 subvariant, to the EU drugs regulator EMA last
month, with delivery pending approval.
The other, targeting the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants as
recommended by the U.S. drug regulator, will begin clinical
trials this month, with initial doses expected to be shipped
also from as early as October.
($1 = 0.9817 euros)
(Reporting by Patricia Weiss and Miranda Murray, editing by
Rachel More and Bernadette Baum)
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