Pfizer developed the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty with BioNTech.
The vaccine was developed through a partnership between Pfizer and the German biotechnology company BioNTech. It uses messenger RNA to instruct cells temporarily to make a version of the coronavirus spike protein, prompting an immune response without using a live virus.
The product was first authorized for emergency use in the United Kingdom in December 2020 and was later authorized or approved in many other jurisdictions. It received the brand name Comirnaty in 2021. The vaccine’s original formulation targeted the SARS-CoV-2 strain identified in 2019; later formulations were updated as the virus evolved.
Pfizer is a major pharmaceutical company founded in 1849 by Charles Pfizer and Charles F. Erhart. Its market capitalization can change substantially with drug sales, trial results, and patent expectations. Pfizer’s partnership is distinct from Moderna’s separate mRNA vaccine program, which used a different corporate collaboration and product name.