Biotech: Rückschlag für Biontech – Krebstherapie fehlgeschlagen

Mainz - German biotech company BioNTech has suffered a setback in cancer research after a vaccine candidate, BNT113, failed to extend the survival of patients without disease progression in a specific type of head and neck cancer. The company announced on Tuesday that BNT113, combined with the antibody Pembrolizumab (Keytruda), did not statistically prolong the lives of participants compared to Pembrolizumab alone.

This is another setback for BioNTech, which gained fame through its Covid-19 vaccine. The technology behind the vaccine, mRNA, is a key component of the company's cancer strategy. BioNTech was founded as a cancer company and has invested a large portion of its pandemic profits into oncological research. The experimental drug is called BNT113 and was tested as first-line therapy in patients with HPV-16-positive, PD-L1-expressing squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Around a third of cases are related to an HPV infection. BioNTech stated that a first negative result in such therapies is not unusual, as immune responses can develop and deepen over time. The company cited examples of clinical studies that initially failed but eventually received approval, including Pembrolizumab, which is sold under the name Keytruda.