Breaking News! Takeover speculation? BioNTech, Evotec, Vidac Pharma

Vidac Pharma: Will the share price take off in 2026?

As announced, Vidac Pharma is starting 2026 with positive news flow. Important milestones could be reached in the company's fight against cancer. Among other things, an in vivo preclinical program for psoriasis has been launched. This will be the first time that the Vidac technology platform has been tested beyond oncology. With psoriasis, Vidac could tap into another billion-dollar market. Grand View Research estimated the psoriasis drug market to be worth USD 21.12 billion in 2024. The experts believe that growth could exceed USD 39 billion by 2030.

The current study aims to evaluate the potential of Vidac's HK2/VDAC targeting approach in chronic immune-mediated inflammatory skin disease. Vidac CEO Dr. Max Herzberg explains: "The scientific rationale for evaluating our HK2/VDAC platform in psoriasis is compelling. The documented overexpression of HK2 in psoriatic tissue, together with the immunomodulatory effects of elevated lactate, provides a strong basis for exploring this pathway in a chronic inflammatory setting. While the program is at an early exploratory stage, the in vivo studies conducted with PharmaLegacy are intended to generate the foundational data required to assess the therapeutic potential of our approach beyond oncology."

There is also news from Vidac's most promising drug candidate. The company has reported results from a compassionate use case with VDA-1102.

According to the report, a young girl with a tumor in the central nervous system (recurrent ependymoma) was treated with VDA-1102. The drug was administered before the third brain surgery and for one month afterward. The aim was to regulate the metabolic activity of the tumor and alter its immediate environment so that the surgery and subsequent radiation therapy would be more effective. The result: the surgery and radiation therapy were successful. The patient's quality of life appears to have improved significantly. No cognitive impairments were observed. The data suggest that the metabolic stabilization achieved by VDA-1102 may have supported the overall therapeutic course.

The efficacy of VDA-1102 must, of course, be confirmed in further clinical trials. But the news is positive in any case. And it suggests that Vidac's valuation of EUR 40 million could be a bargain, making the company a clear takeover candidate if its efficacy is further confirmed.

Vidac CEO Dr. Max Herzberg also reported on the company's strategy and roadmap in a presentation with the International Investment Forum:

https://youtu.be/3A9gVbHM-dE?si=LbaLQjuxJc7BFsj_

BioNTech: Shock news and stock plunge

Shock news and a sharp sell-off at BioNTech. On Tuesday, the shares of Germany's largest biotech company plunged by more than 20%. The somewhat mixed results for 2025 and the cautious outlook for the current year are likely to have contributed only to a limited extent. Shareholders are likely more concerned about the impending departure of the founding couple. Özlem Türeci and Uğur Şahin are expected to leave BioNTech by the end of 2026 at the latest. Together, they plan to launch a new biotech company.

Şahin and Türeci founded BioNTech in 2008 and still hold a 15% stake in the company. The focus was on developing cancer therapies based on mRNA technology. During the coronavirus pandemic, the company successfully developed a vaccine against COVID-19 and earned billions. This makes it relatively easy to absorb the net loss of EUR 1.1 billion in 2025, as the company still has liquid assets of around EUR 17 billion. BioNTech expects to reach numerous value-relevant milestones in the current year. Six data releases from late-stage clinical development are pending, covering immunomodulators, antibody-drug conjugates, and mRNA cancer immunotherapies.

In an initial reaction, Deutsche Bank confirmed its "Buy" recommendation with a price target of USD 140. The results and outlook come as no surprise. The departure of the founders is a different matter.
This is not a sign of confidence. On the other hand, the company is very mature, and the two are researchers with heart and soul. A smaller company might be more suitable. In addition, analysts are bringing takeover speculation into play.

Evotec: Shareholders disappointed

While Vidac Pharma is optimistic about 2026, Evotec is currently undergoing a restructuring. A weak outlook and job cuts caused disappointment among Evotec shareholders this week. The company is forecasting revenues of only EUR 700 to 780 million for 2026. In 2025, revenues amounted to EUR 788 million. The group now expects adjusted EBITDA to be only EUR 0 to 40 million, down from around EUR 41 million in the previous year. The market reacted accordingly, with the share price falling by double digits and slipping below the EUR 5 mark.

The "Horizon" restructuring program that was presented also failed to generate enthusiasm. Evotec intends to focus the organization more strongly on operations, science, and commercial implementation in the future, thereby becoming more efficient. At the same time, 2026 is explicitly described as a transition year. Initial operational improvements are expected to become visible in the second half of the year. The announced job cuts are particularly drastic. Up to 800 jobs are to be cut, and Evotec also intends to reduce the number of locations from 14 to 10.
Although this is expected to save around EUR 75 million annually by the end of 2027, it will initially incur costs of around EUR 100 million from 2026 to 2028.

Vidac Pharma's stock could emerge as a new biotech darling in 2026. The valuation appears to be anything but high. Meanwhile, the planned departure of the founders of BioNTech is creating uncertainty among shareholders. The move was expected at some point, but investors would likely have preferred it to come after the company’s first drug had reached the market. At Evotec, a technical rebound is possible at any time, but the new management team has not yet managed to spark renewed investor enthusiasm.