What happened Shares of BioNTech (NASDAQ: BNTX) were jumping 10.6% higher as of 12:23 p.m. EDT on Monday. The big gain came after Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) stated that it's in discussions with the government of India about accelerating authorization of the partners' COVID-19 vaccine. So what Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla stated on Monday, "We are currently discussing with the Indian government an expedited approval pathway to make our Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine available for use in the country." Although Pfizer and BioNTech submitted the COVID-19 vaccine for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in India in late 2020, the Indian government's requirement of a safety study conducted in the country prompted the two drugmakers to withdraw the application in February. Image source: Getty Images. However, India is now reeling from a surge in COVID-19 cases. The country indicated that it would change its authorization process for vaccines to require a local clinical trial within 30 days after approval instead of prior to approval. The country presents a large market opportunity for Pfizer and BioNTech. However, the relatively high price tag for the companies' COVID-19 vaccine combined with its storage requirements could limit those prospects to some extent. Now what BioNTech is enjoying considerable success in 2021 with the biotech stock soaring more than 150% year to date after today's gain. It could still have other catalysts on the way, including the potential for its COVID-19 vaccine winning EUA in India and the possibility of securing additional large supply deals outside of the U.S. 10 stocks we like better than BioNTech SEWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.* David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the ten best stocks for investors to buy right now... and BioNTech SE wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of February 24, 2021 Keith Speights owns shares of Pfizer. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.Source