US to Spend $2 Billion on Potential COVID-19 Vaccine
An employee is seen at the Reference Center for Special Immunobiologicals (CRIE) of the Federal University of Sao Paulo (Unifesp) where the trials of the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine are conducted, in Sao Paulo, Brazil
President Donald Trump's administration recently announced that it would be committing to spend $1.95 billion on 100 million doses of a probable COVID-19 vaccine. The said vaccine is currently being developed by American pharmaceutical company Pfizer and German R&D company BioNTech and will be for distribution to the American market, free of charge.
BioNTech announced yesterday that the supply deal, which the White House signed, comprises choices for the U.S. administration to buy 500 million doses of vaccine, subject for regulatory approval.
According to reports, several governments have already closed deals with some of the 24 groups presently examining a COVID-19 vaccine on humans, which include a vaccine candidate that the Oxford University and AstraZeneca developed.
However, most buyers have declined to divulge the price paid for each dose. As vaccine candidates of BioNTech will need at least two doses for every patient, the amount of each immunization is around $40.
Costs of advance purchase agreements vary substantially depending on the content of the agreement. Specifically, they vary on the amount the government is pledging to help the firm carry out vials and fast track manufacturing.
ALSO READ: Physicians Have Established New Guidelines for this Hard-to-Diagnose Condition
Operation Warp Speed
The Operation Warp Speed of the U.S. administration aims to distribute 300 million doses of accredited vaccine doses by January next year.
To date, it has already spent over a billion dollars on investments in COVID-19, which leading pharmaceutical companies Johnson & Johnson and Moderna are currently developing.
In May, the U.S. administration obtained 300 million doses of vaccines of AstraZeneca and Oxford University for $1 billion.
Then, earlier this month, Prizer and BioNTech came out with introductory data from its clinical test in the U.S.
The said firms found that 24 patients who were administered with the vaccine candidate developed immune reactions similar to or even better than those found in patients who recovered from COVID-19.
DON'T MISS THIS: Researchers Identify New Cause of Age-Related Hearing Loss
Seeking Approval from the FDA
The said firms have sought an application for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval, since as early as October, after an extensive test with 30,000 people.
The companies have also claimed that they are capable of manufacturing about 1.4 billion doses by the end of next year, and these include the 100 million for manufacturing this year.
According to Albert Bourla, the chief executive of Pfizer, they have made the early decision to start the clinical test and extensive manufacturing at risk to guarantee that vaccines would be immediately available if their clinical trials have proven to be successful.
Meanwhile, the administration's move comes, following the order of the U.K. government, of 30 million doses of BioNTech's vaccine, and 60 million doses of another vaccine from Valneva, a French company.
Up to 12 Vaccine Candidates
The head of the vaccines task force of the U.K. government, Kate Bingham, said that they initially discussed with the government going to a maximum of 12 vaccines, although it could be at least eight.
Meanwhile, BioNTech chief executive and co-founder Ugur Sahin explained they are in advanced discussion as well, with several other governments, and are looking forward to the announcement of new supply deals later on.
More so, the company said it had shown interest in supplying the COVAX program, which aims to allow equitable access to a vaccine.
The said program is operated by Gavi, the World Health Organization Cepi, or the Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.
BioNTech, a company based in Mainz, is among the many companies which use the mRNA or messenger RNA technology for the development of the COVID-19 vaccine.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Potential COVID-19 Vaccine from University of Oxford Could Activate One's Immune Response
Jul 23, 2020 06:39 AM EDT
