mRNA Technology: BioNTech Shares Very Weak: BioNTech Makes Progress in Development of Cancer Immunotherapy

The biotech company began a phase II clinical trial for use in colon cancer with BNT122, which, like BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine, is based on mRNA technology. About 200 patients will take part in the United States, Germany, Spain and Belgium, the former of whom have now been treated, BioNTech announced on Friday. The aim of the study is to examine the effectiveness of BNT 122 as compared to watchful waiting to see if the tumor reappears after surgery and chemotherapy. The latter is the current standard of care for these patients.

For BioNTech, this is the second study in the cancer pipeline that has now reached the second of three stages of clinical development. In collaboration with Roche subsidiary Genentech, BioNTech is also testing BNT122 for use in other types of cancer. The agent has also reached Phase 2 for the treatment of black skin cancer.

Nasdaq-listed BioNTech’s stock is currently down 9.87 percent at $246.04.

Frankfurt (Reuters)