Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE are moving forward with the development of a mRNA vaccine candidate for COVID-19, with plans to initiate human testing by the end of April. The companies aim to advance multiple candidates into human trials in the US and Europe, they announced on 9 April. The companies also revealed more details of the financial terms of the collaboration, which includes a $185m upfront payment from Pfizer to BioNTech as well as a $113m equity investment. BioNTech will be eligible to receive future milestone payments of up to $563m.
Pfizer revealed in March that it was extending a collaboration with the messenger RNA specialist BioNTech to include an investigational COVID-19 vaccine. Pfizer and BioNTech had already established a flu vaccine collaboration in 2018
