Gerresheimer makes a profit: In the wake of BioNTech & Co.

BioNTech and AstraZeneca became world famous in the Corona crisis. But there are significantly more companies that benefit from the wave of vaccinations: The supplier company Gerresheimer is an example of success.

The corona vaccination goes by quickly, most of them probably ask themselves at that moment: “Will the prick hurt?” Hardly anyone should pay any attention to the ampoule that contains the vaccine – it is important. One of the manufacturers is the Gerresheimer company from Düsseldorf. CEO Dietmar Siemssen describes that his company has been very busy lately: “We have already delivered over 300 million bottles in the first six months of this year, and we have already received larger orders for the year 2023. For our customers is this topic is not quite over yet. ”

Today Gerresheimer presented business figures. Sales rose in the second quarter by almost four percent compared to the same period of the previous year, even if the Covid-19 vaccination bottles make up a small part of it. The group, named after the Gerresheim district of Düsseldorf, supplies the cosmetics and pharmaceuticals industry worldwide. Gerresheimer is one of the big three manufacturers of vaccination bottles. Another is the Mainz company Schott, which also produces glass parts for hobs and telescopes.

Unbroken need for vaccine vials

According to estimates by DZ Bank, almost seven billion vials for the corona vaccinations will be needed this year alone. And demand will grow next year, says Christian Kahler, chief investment strategist at DZ Bank. “We assume that the market for Covid-19 vaccines will more than double from the current market volume of 93 billion US dollars to 200 billion US dollars over the next one to two years.” In terms of vaccine doses, growth will be 50 to 60 percent. “The suppliers have to invest more in expansion, because at the same time one has to assume that other market areas may grow more slowly than the vaccines business. All of this will continue to gain in importance,” predicts Kahler.

Sought-after goods: lipid envelopes and laboratory equipment

Not only Gerresheimer and Schott want to benefit from this, but also other suppliers. For example, the Essen-based company Evonik. This supplies lipids. They are needed to protect the sensitive mRNA in the corresponding vaccines. The mRNA arrives safely in our cells in small lipid envelopes; only there is it released.

Also important for production: laboratories. The right equipment is supplied by Sartorius from Göttingen, among others. It is no coincidence that so many German companies with global production sites are involved, says Alexander Nuyken, pharmaceutical expert at the consulting company EY. “The mRNA technology originated in Germany – and so the developers naturally created an ecosystem around them.”

One thing is still noticeable: Compared to vaccine manufacturers such as BioNTech and Co., the share prices of most suppliers have increased – but not as strongly as those of the manufacturers. “The vaccine suppliers are not just vaccine suppliers, they supply the entire pharmaceutical industry,” explains EY expert Nuyken. “Other diseases, like lung diseases, have receded because we just wear masks and keep our distance.” An upswing on the one hand means in many cases a decline on the other.

But even if the pandemic ends – the coronavirus has come to stay and will therefore continue to occupy the suppliers from the pharmaceutical industry.