BioNTech, eyeing $18B+ in COVID-19 vaccine sales this year, poised to join the ranks of the world's top drugmakers

The COVID-19 pandemic helped put mRNA vaccines on the map. Now, thanks to the shots' quick uptake in rich countries, mRNA specialist BioNTech appears poised to join the ranks of the world's top drugmakers by sales.

Now prophesizing €15.9 billion ($18.7 billion) in COVID-19 vaccine sales in 2021, Pfizer’s German mRNA partner BioNTech will likely join the ranks of the world’s top 20 drugmakers by revenue this year. It’s a similar story to Moderna, which never had an approved drug prior to its COVID-19 shot, but is now forecasting about $20 billion in 2021 revenues.