BioNTech shares plummet after report of alleged irregularities in COVID vaccine trials

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Shares in German biotech BioNTech, which co-developed the Covid-19 vaccine with U.S.-based Pfizer, plunged nearly 20% since Friday following a report of irregularities in COVID injection trials.

The share price of BioNTech, which trades on the NASDAQ stock exchange, briefly fell US$60 to US$216 before settling at US$226 at the time of writing.

Some analysts linked the dramatic drop, around 20%, to the release of an explosive report on Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid vaccine trials.

The report, published Tuesday in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), quotes a former contractor and claims to reveal a staggering level of incompetence in management, data handling, and patient safety during the trial process.

The whistleblower, identified as Brook Jackson, claimed the company hired poorly trained vaccinators, was slow to investigate adverse effects, and even falsified study data. She also submitted dozens of internal documents to the BMJ supporting her claims.

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