Valneva Begins COVID Vax Production to Optimize Potential Deliveries

Valneva SE began production of its inactivated, adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine candidate in parallel to the ongoing clinical studies, in an effort to optimize the timeline for potential deliveries of the vaccine. The Phase 1/2 clinical study is fully enrolled and is expected to report initial results in April 2021.

VLA2001 is currently the only inactivated vaccine candidate in clinical trials against COVID-19 in Europe.

In September 2020, Valneva entered a COVID-19 vaccine partnership with the UK government for the supply of up to 190 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine VLA20012. If the vaccine development is successful, Valneva will provide the UK government with 60 million doses in 2H21. Valneva is also in advanced discussions with the European Commission for the supply of up to 60 million doses of VLA2001.

Thomas Lingelbach, Chief Executive Officer of Valneva, said, “We are extremely pleased to have achieved these two important milestones in such a short period of time. Our team in Scotland have done an amazing job to get manufacturing started so quickly. I would like to thank the UK Vaccines Taskforce and National Institute for Health Research who have played vital roles in the rapid recruitment and enrollment of the volunteers for the clinical study. We believe that our vaccine, assuming successful development, can make a major contribution in the UK and beyond.”