BioNTech's Works Council Pushes Back as Roche Picks Up the Tab on a Shared Program
Published on 11/04/2026 at 09:40 | Editorial boerse-global.de
BioNTech is facing friction on two fronts this week — one financial, one internal — as the German biotech disclosed a reshuffled cost arrangement with Roche and Genentech while its works council went public with sharp criticism of management.
The company confirmed it has exercised an option within its collaboration with the two Roche units, shifting responsibility for future research and development costs on the joint program to Roche and Genentech, effective January 1, 2027. BioNTech stands to collect licensing fees should development and commercialization succeed. The prospect of those royalties remains tied entirely to the program's performance, and the company left its guidance for adjusted R&D spending and adjusted sales and administrative costs untouched.
A Quarter That Cuts Both Ways
The cost-shift news lands alongside third-quarter 2026 results that show BioNTech back in the black. Revenue for the period came in at EUR 1,289.2 million, generating a net profit of EUR 184.5 million under IFRS.
The nine-month picture is far less flattering. Over the first three quarters of 2026, BioNTech posted revenue of EUR 1,512.9 million alongside a net loss of EUR 1,168.2 million. The figures were also published in a mandatory filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
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On the top line, management nudged up the midpoint of its full-year 2026 revenue forecast, now guiding to a range of EUR 1.7 billion to EUR 1.9 billion.
Breast Cancer Data: Endpoint Met, Questions Remain
Roughly a week ago, BioNTech and partner DualityBio reported that their DYNASTY-Breast02 study hit its primary endpoint. Trastuzumab pamirtecan extended progression-free survival versus physician's choice of chemotherapy in HR-positive, HER2-low metastatic breast cancer — a statistically significant result, though only a moderate one.
The safety profile drew scrutiny: the partners disclosed a higher rate of interstitial lung disease, including severe and fatal cases. Overall survival data were not yet mature at the interim analysis. BioNTech and DualityBio said they would discuss next steps.
Gilead Joins the Breast Cancer Push
A separate clinical partnership with Gilead Sciences, announced October 22, will supply study drugs to test the combination of pumitamig with Gilead's sacituzumab govitecan. The vehicle is the global Phase 3 ROSETTA Breast-01 trial, subject to regulatory approval, targeting patients with previously untreated, locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer whose tumors show low or no PD-L1 expression.
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Staff Representatives Sound the Alarm
Behind the pipeline news, employee relations have deteriorated. According to a report published yesterday by Handelsblatt, BioNTech's works council accuses management of poor communication and decision-making paralysis. Employees described uncertainty about their jobs amid the restructuring, and the report also cites allegations of racism and threats.
The works council aired its complaints in a letter to the executive board, as reported by dpa-AFX. BioNTech responded that it takes the accusations seriously and tolerates neither discrimination nor racism, sexism or threats. The allegations remain just that — claims the company has answered with a statement.
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