The European Commission (EC) plans to order two hundred million doses of a possible COVID-19 vaccine from the German pharmaceutical company BioNTech SE and the US company Pfizer, according to a statement.
The proposed deal also includes an option to purchase another 100 million doses of the experimental vaccine candidate BNT162 for member states of the European Union (EU), the Xinhua news firm quoted corporations as saying on Wednesday.
“We should have concluded exploratory discussions with the European Commission, which would be our largest initial request to date,” said Ugur Sahin, CEO and co-founder of BioNTech.
Vaccines for the EU would be produced at BioNTech’s facilities in Germany, as well as in Pfizer’s production in Belgium, according to companies.
Deliveries of the potential COVID-19 vaccine are expected to begin until the end of 2020.
“We have activated our chain of origin, especially our site in Belgium, and we are starting to manufacture so that our vaccine is as temporary as possible, if our clinical trials are successful and regulatory approval is granted,” Albert Bourla said. , President and CEO of Pfizer.
Delivery times are subject to ongoing trials.
A global vaccine for the possible vaccine with up to 30,000 participants has already started in July.
“Recruitment for two-thirds of the trial to date has exceeded 25,000 participants with a dose currently underway,” the corporations noted.
BioNTech and Pfizer aim to register regulatory approval for BNT162b2 in October if the existing clinic on the possible COVID-19 vaccine is successful.
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said she is pleased to announce that “we have concluded talks with BioNTech-Pfizer for an initial acquisition of two hundred million doses of long-term coronavirus vaccines. “
“This is the sixth pharmaceutical corporation with which we have concluded talks or signed an agreement for possible vaccines, in record time,” he said on a Wednesday.
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