BioNTech

BioNTech, Summit Therapeutics, GSK and Roche have made a splash at the ongoing World Conference on Lung Cancer taking place in South Korea. These companies and their partners have all shared new findings for their closely watched programs, highlighting overall survival benefits in various types of lung cancer.

Following their blowout win in melanoma last month, Merck and Moderna are leading the way among a new crop of personalized cancer vaccines. Here are five companies with similar therapies hoping to break through where others have previously failed.

A year to the day after the Trump administration slashed $500 million in funding from mRNA-based programs, the FDA approved Moderna’s flu vaccine based on the technology. Weeks later, Moderna and Merck revealed positive Phase 3 results for their personalized mRNA-based cancer vaccine. In the words of one mRNA specialist, “science won.”

Novartis hits pause on several CAR T trials after three patient deaths, followed by Bristol Myers Squibb after separate safety signals; Revolution Medicines scores early FDA approval for groundbreaking pancreatic cancer drug; BioNTech suspends a mid-stage trial of its mRNA cancer immunotherapy after a futility analysis; and nine mid-sized biopharma companies join their big pharma peers in President Donald Trump’s Most Favored Nation drug pricing scheme.

Shares of Germany-based BioNTech were down as much as 8% Friday after announcing a Phase 2 trial of autogene cevumeran would be discontinued for futility. The news follows Merck and Moderna’s Phase 3 win last week for their cancer vaccine plus Keytruda in melanoma.

Lower vaccine demand across every market and more acute pressures in Germany led BioNTech to lower the midpoint of its sales outlook by almost 20%.

BioNTech’s leadership transition was announced earlier this year, with CEO Ugur Sahin and CMO Özlem Türeci leaving to start a new mRNA company. Guido Oelkers of Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB will take over as CEO in early 2027.

The takeovers depend on Moderna reaching an agreement with the German government, which risks losing investment from drugmakers over planned healthcare reforms.

For the second time in 2026, the number of biopharma professionals affected by made or projected workforce reductions rose year over year. In May, layoffs spiked nearly 50%, mainly due to Takeda and BioNTech axing a combined 6,360 employees.