Coronavirus: Commission approves new contract for potential COVID-19 vaccine with Novavax
Today (August 4), the European Commission approved its seventh Advance Purchase Agreement (APA) with a pharmaceutical company to secure access to a potential COVID-19 vaccine in the fourth quarter of 2021 and into 2022.
Under the contract, member states will be able to purchase up to 100 million doses of the Novavax vaccine, with an option for an additional 100 million doses during 2021, 2022 and 2023, once reviewed and approved by the EMA as being safe and effective. . Member States will also be able to donate vaccines to low- and middle-income countries or redirect them to other European countries.
Today’s contract complements an already large portfolio of vaccines to be produced in Europe, including contracts with AstraZeneca, Sanofi-GSK, Janssen Pharmaceutica SA, BioNtech-Pfizer, CureVac, Moderna and the exploratory interviews concluded with Valneva. This is another key step in ensuring that Europe is well prepared to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “As new variants of the coronavirus spread across Europe and around the world, this new contract with a company that is already successfully testing its vaccine against these variants is a additional guarantee for the protection of our population. It further strengthens our vast vaccine portfolio, for the benefit of Europeans and our partners around the world. “
Health and Food Safety Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said: “Vaccinations in the EU are progressing and we are getting closer to our target of 70% of citizens fully vaccinated by the end of the summer. Our new agreement with Novavax expands our vaccine portfolio to include another protein-based vaccine, a promising platform in clinical trials. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that our vaccines continue to reach citizens in Europe and around the world, in order to end the pandemic as quickly as possible. “
Novavax is a biotechnology company that develops new generation vaccines for serious infectious diseases. Their COVID-19 vaccine is already under review by the EMA for possible marketing authorization.
The Commission took the decision to support this vaccine on the basis of a sound scientific assessment, the technology used, the company’s experience in vaccine development and its production capacity to supply the whole world. the EU.
context
The European Commission presented on June 17 a European strategy accelerate the development, manufacture and deployment of effective and safe COVID-19 vaccines. In return for the right to purchase a specified number of doses of vaccine within a specified time frame, the Commission funds part of the initial costs faced by vaccine producers in the form of advance purchase agreements.
In view of the current and new escape variants of SARS-CoV-2, the Commission and Member States are negotiating with companies already in the EU vaccine portfolio for new agreements that would allow rapid procurement of suitable vaccines in amounts sufficient to strengthen and prolong immunity.
To purchase new vaccines, Member States are allowed to use the REACT-EU package, one of the largest programs of the new Next Generation EU instrument which continues and extends crisis response and repair measures.
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