Earlier this week, outlets reported that German biotechnology company BioNTech will close its vaccine manufacturing facility based in the Tuas area of Singapore.

The company cited a comprehensive analysis of its footprint as the reasoning behind the decision, stating the site no longer aligned with its long-term goals. The site, which employs 85 people, will close by February 2027.

Experts have speculated that this closure is due to a recent decline in COVID-19 vaccine sales, which follows industry trends. Both Moderna and BioNTech have suffered plummeting share prices since peak vaccination rates in 2021, with BioNTech trading at 78% below its previous high. The company reported a net loss of over €1 billion (US$1.17 billion) in 2025.

In another blow, BioNTech and Pfizer halted a joint study designed to investigate the effects of the COVID-19 vaccine in healthy American adults due to enrollment difficulties. The trial missed its recruitment goal, which sought 25,000–30,000 participants.

Despite recent hurdles, BioNTech remains optimistic about its ongoing operations, refocusing its efforts on its immuno-oncology pipelines.

“2025 was a year of strong execution marked by substantial progress,” commented CEO and co-founder of BioNTech Ugur Sahin in a public release. “We advanced our oncology pipeline by moving multiple programs into late-stage development and initiated trials assessing novel combination approaches with the aim of delivering differentiated therapeutic profiles.”

He added, “We remain committed to leveraging our pioneering position in the immuno-oncology space.”

The closure of BioNTech’s mRNA vaccine facility in Singapore follows increasing vaccine hesitancy in the US that has been marked by shifting government and healthcare policy. Pharmaceutical conglomerate Merck recently announced over 150 redundancies at its North Carolina vaccine manufacturing facility amid declining sales.

As Robert F Kennedy, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), continues to push for removing vaccines from childhood vaccination schedules, the future of the market and US demand remains uncertain.