On March 1, 2023 BioNTech SE (Nasdaq: BNTX, "BioNTech", "the Company") reported that the Company and the Weizmann Institute of Science ("Weizmann Institute") signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) (Press release, BioNTech, MAR 1, 2023, View Source [SID1234627971]). As part of this MoU, scientists from a variety of disciplines from BioNTech and the Weizmann Institute will collaborate in basic and applied research with the aim to better understand various diseases, including cancer, infectious diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases. The joint research will be conducted at BioNTech’s newly established mRNA Excellence Center and in Weizmann Institute laboratories.
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The MoU supports BioNTech’s long-term strategy to discover, research and develop innovative vaccines and therapies for diseases with high unmet medical need. The Company’s mRNA Excellence Center will be based within the Weizmann Science Park in Ness Ziona, where BioNTech intends to lease office and laboratory space. The center is expected to provide space for approximately 60 researchers to facilitate collaboration among various fields, including life science, computer science, mathematics, physics, and chemistry. BioNTech expects the center to start operations by the end of 2023.
"We are pleased to establish mRNA research laboratories on the campus of the Weizmann Institute of Science," said Prof. Ugur Sahin, M.D., CEO and Co-founder of BioNTech. "Our initiative aims to foster collaborations with top researchers to advance multidisciplinary research and accelerate the development of innovative solutions to tackle some of the world’s most pressing health challenges."
Prof. Ziv Reich, Vice President of the Weizmann Institute of Science, said: "The new center will work in close academic collaboration with the Weizmann Institute of Science and contribute to a better understanding of the drivers and mechanisms of disease in living cells. We welcome the opportunity for a new collaboration that will enrich the research at the Institute, for the benefit of humanity."
In addition, BioNTech plans to establish and operate an mRNA manufacturing facility based on its BioNTainer solution in Israel, which is intended to facilitate clinical development of investigational cancer therapies as well as Israel’s ability to respond to potential health threats.