Pfizer developed the first widely used mRNA COVID-19 vaccine with Germany’s BioNTech.
The vaccine, marketed as Comirnaty, was developed through a partnership between Pfizer and BioNTech. It received emergency authorization in the United Kingdom in December 2020 and was subsequently authorized in other countries, including the United States.
Its messenger RNA technology instructs cells to produce a harmless piece of the coronavirus spike protein, prompting an immune response. The mRNA does not alter a person’s DNA and is broken down by the body after delivering its instructions.
Pfizer manufactured and distributed the vaccine globally, while BioNTech contributed key mRNA technology and research. Moderna also produced an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, but it was a separate product developed with different partners.