EU reaches deal to procure 160 million doses of Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate

The European Union has reached a deal to procure up to 160 million doses of US biotech Moderna’s experimental Covid-19 vaccine candidate.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “According to the results of clinical trials, this vaccine could be highly effective against Covid-19. Once the vaccine is indeed proven as safe and effective, every Member State will receive it at the same time, on a pro-rata basis, at the same conditions.”

The latest agreement with Moderna is the sixth that the EU Commission has signed with pharma firms for Covid-19 vaccines.

Leyen added: “This provides Europeans access to the most promising future vaccines under development so far. Of course, all vaccines from our portfolio will be evaluated very carefully by our European Medicines Agency (EMA). They will only be authorised and placed on the market if they are safe and if they are effective.”

This contract takes the EU’s potential stock of Covid-19 doses to almost two billion.

Earlier this month, Moderna reported that its vaccine candidate, mRNA-1273, demonstrated an efficacy of 94.5% in a preliminary analysis of Phase III trial.

Recently, the UK government also secured five million doses of mRNA-1273.

Separately, Pfizer expects to initiate administering Covid-19 vaccines in Mexico in mid-December if it receives approval from the country’s health regulator, Cofepris.

Pfizer is slated to submit details on the vaccine’s use to Cofepris, following which the regulator will be able to commence its analysis, said Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard.

Ebrard posted on Twitter: “Pfizer – if Cofepris approves – will reach Mexico in December of this year.”

Following the approval of the vaccine in Mexico, the shipment from US or European labs is expected to reach Mexico in about five days, Ebrard added.

In another development, Eli Lilly has signed a $32.5m agreement with the Canadian government for the supply of 26,000 doses of its antibody drug, bamlanivimab, to treat Covid-19 patients.

Developed in collaboration with Canadian firm AbCellera, the doses will be delivered to Canada over a three-month period between December and February.

Depending on the need and the antibody drug dose availability, additional doses will be supplied to Canada monthly.

Last week, FDA issued an EUA for Lilly and Incyte’s baricitinib in combination with remdesivir in hospitalised patients with Covid-19.