Brussels is set to almost triple its orders of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine as part of an EU push to respond to the emergence of new variants and the possible need for booster shots.
The European Commission is due on Wednesday to announce a deal for a further 150m doses of the US pharmaceutical company’s jab this year and an option for 150m more next year, people briefed on the matter said.
The agreement would add to Brussels’ agreement last year to buy 160m Moderna shots. It is part of a wider effort to tackle criticism of the EU’s sluggish vaccine rollout and prepare for the possible evolution of the disease as mutant strains appear.
BioNTech/Pfizer has also confirmed an agreement previously flagged by Brussels to increase supplies of its vaccine to the EU expected this year from 300m doses to 500m, with the option to add 100m more.
Deliveries under the new Moderna deal would be unlikely to ease the current short-term vaccine supply squeeze ahead of an increase in deliveries to the EU in April. BioNTech said an estimated 75m of the additional 200m doses it had agreed would be delivered between April and June.
The development comes as Ursula von der Leyen, commission president, steps up her efforts to boost the EU’s vaccine supplies following weeks of negative headlines over the rollout.
In a set of announcements today, she will seek to address the risk of new variants of the pathogen emerging, a danger that is preoccupying health authorities around the world.
The commission president will announce €150m in funding for research into novel mutant strains of the pathogen and related work, using money from the EU’s Horizon scientific research programme, according to people familiar with the plan. In addition, at least €75m of EU funding will be ploughed into developing specialised tests for emerging variants.
Both the BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are based on pioneering mRNA technology, which experts say will be easier to develop new versions to deal with new virus variants than for some more conventional jabs.
The commission has been under fire because its vaccine rollout has lagged efforts in the US and UK. Critics question whether the commission and member states invested enough money up front to boost companies’ efforts to develop vaccines and build manufacturing capacity.
Earlier this month, von der Leyen admitted to the European parliament that the commission had made mistakes in the jab procurement strategy it runs along with member states. She said Brussels could have approved some Covid-19 shots sooner, and was overly optimistic about vaccine manufacturing capacity.
Von der Leyen will announce the commission’s new efforts to combat the virus alongside Stella Kyriakides, health commissioner, and Thierry Breton, internal market commissioner.
The commission goal will be to ensure speedy detection of mutant versions of the virus, enabling the rapid adaptation of vaccines to meet new threats. Proposed measures include a framework to enable patent holders to confidentially share intellectual property with partners to enable production of new jabs against variants.
The commission plan will also seek to fast-track regulatory approval of updated vaccines — potentially following the model already used for influenza jabs — and to speed up authorisation of new capacity for manufacturing adapted vaccines. It will involve expanding capacity to produce both existing and adapted vaccines.
The commission also wants to update its existing vaccine advance purchase agreements and conclude new ones, using them to support the development of new and adapted jabs with the aid of EU funding.
Moderna did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The commission declined to comment.
The Link LonkFebruary 17, 2021 at 05:22PM
https://www.ft.com/content/a6cd1bc8-f6e0-4e32-8399-6fde8b71c579
EU set to announce fresh vaccine deal with Moderna - Financial Times
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