EU agrees deal with Sanofi for COVID-19 vaccine supply
pharmafile | August 3, 2020 | News story | Sales and Marketing | COVID, COVID-19, coronavirus
The EU has reached an agreement with Sanofi for 300 million doses of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate which will allow the trading bloc’s members to purchase the vaccines if and when it gets an approval.
This is part of a wider strategy the EU is pursuing. They have set aside a fund of $2.4 billion to strike separate deals with multiple pharmaceutical companies developing vaccines to ensure the EU’s 450 million citizens have access to a potential treatment.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement: “Today we took an important step with Sanofi to secure access to a future coronavirus vaccine for Europeans. More to come. We are in talks with other companies about promising vaccines, based on diverse technologies. A vaccine will be a global good.
“While we do not know today which vaccine will work best in the end, Europe is investing in a diversified portfolio of promising vaccines, based on various types of technologies.”
Sanofi’s specific candidate is being developed by GlaxoSmithKline, which is combining Sanofi’s expertise in antigens, and GSK’s adjuvant technology which helps to bolster the body’s immune system.
The companies released a joint statement, which read: “The doses would be manufactured in European countries including France, Belgium, Germany, and Italy. This marks a key milestone in protecting and serving the European population against COVID-19.”
The clinical trials for their vaccine candidate is set to be begin by September with a Phase 3 study expected by the end of the year.
Conor Kavanagh
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