The European Commission has concluded its talks with pharmaceutical company Novavax regarding the purchase of its potential COVID-19 vaccine.
The European Commission and Novavax envisaged contract would provide for the possibility for all EU Member States to purchase 100 million doses, and they could further purchase up to 100 million more doses.
The finalisation of the exploratory talks is in addition to a secured portfolio of vaccines including with AstraZeneca, Sanofi-GSK, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, BioNtech-Pfizer, CureVac, and Moderna.
President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said: “I am happy to announce that we continue to broaden our portfolio of diverse vaccines. Today’s step toward reaching an agreement with Novavax demonstrates the Commission’s commitment to ensure all possible options are explored to access vaccines against COVID-19. Access to more vaccines will lead to a sufficient coverage for beating the pandemic.”
Next-gen vaccines
Earlier this year, the European Commission presented a European strategy to accelerate the development, manufacturing, and deployment of effective and safe vaccines against the virus, then later laid out key steps that Member States need to take to be fully prepared, which includes the development of national vaccination strategies.
Novavax is developing next-generation vaccines for serious infectious diseases and its COVID-19 vaccine is a protein subunit vaccine which is already in Phase III clinical trial stage.
Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, said: “We are close to adding a seventh promising vaccine to our portfolio and therefore increasing our chances to have the best possible choice for a safe and effective vaccine. All Member States must now ensure that they are ready to start deploying some of them as from early 2021 once proven to be safe and effective. Vaccination will determine how we will live and work in 2021. In the lead up to the festive period, we are asking citizens to continue their efforts to control the pandemic. Everyone must play their part in keeping further resurgences at bay while we wait for a vaccine.”
