BioNTech to produce 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine in 2021 amid surge in global demand

German biotechnology company BioNTech is planning to produce two billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine in 2021 because of the increase in global demand, the company has said in a statement.

"In order to respond to an increased global demand, we plan to manufacture two billion doses of our COVID-19 vaccine in 2021 by expanding the previously expected output of 1.3 billion doses by more than 50 per cent," the company said in a press release.

"We are on track to scale-up our manufacturing capacities," the statement said.

The company, which developed the vaccine with US-based pharma Pfizer, said the modification of production processes at Pfizer's facility in Puurs, Belgium, had been successfully completed.

"The modification of production processes at Pfizer's facility in Puurs, Belgium, has been successfully completed. Now, we are back to the original schedule of vaccine dose deliveries to the European Union," it said.

According to Johns Hopkins University, 103,409,402 Covid-19 cases have been recorded globally with over 2,237,973 deaths.

( With inputs from ANI )