Can mRNA Cure Cancer? BioNTech (BNTX) Is Banking on It.

German company BioNTech is betting big on its new cancer drug, and for good reason. In Phase 2 trials, BNT111 showed a marked improvement in patients with advanced melanoma as compared to traditional treatments. BNT111 was paired with Regeneron’s Libtayo, a PD-1 inhibitor. Trials continue as the company explores various secondary endpoints, but so far the news is excellent for BioNTech.

From COVID To Cancer

If the name BioNTech seems familiar, it’s because they partnered with Pfizer to create one of the most widely available mRNA vaccines for COVID-19. It was first to market in the United States, receiving an emergency authorization just 9 months after the pandemic reached our shores. Both Pfizer and BioNTech got a massive boost as a result, but four years on, interest in COVID vaccines has waned.

The company has long believed in the power of mRNA to revolutionize medicine, though, as its cancer moonshot proves. It’s set an ambitious goal of having 10 cancer drugs approved by 2030. Whether the company will reach that target is anyone’s guess, but the recent results demonstrate that mRNA treatments can be successful, at least for certain cancers.

What The Analysts Are Saying

Analysts tend to agree that BioNTech is a buy, with the usual caveats. Cancer will affect nearly 40% of people sometime in their lives, and treating it remains incredibly challenging. Even if only a small portion of BioNTech’s cancer drugs ever make it to market, there is a tremendous potential upside for investors. But of course, nothing is ever guaranteed, particularly with new healthcare technologies. There’s always a risk that a particular drug may not work as expected in late-stage trails or even once it’s released to the public. BioNTech is mitigating that risk by maintaining several drugs in trials at once, but investors should still consider the risk versus reward before going all-in.

Neither Lisa Fritscher nor Stocks.News has positions in this company.