French company Sanofi will help push out more than 100 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by its rivals Pfizer and BioNTech as new mutations of the deadly virus continue to spread across the globe.
Starting this summer, Sanofi’s facilities in Frankfurt will pitch in during the late-stage production of doses prepared by Germany-based BioNTech, including bottling and packaging, a Sanofi official said.
The official didn’t disclose financial details of the deal, announced Wednesday.
“We are very conscious that the earlier vaccine doses are available, the more lives can potentially be saved,” Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson said in a statement.
The French government has pushed Sanofi to aid vaccine production from its rivals, given the high demand for the shots and supply issues causing political uproar across the European Union.
Last month, Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline delayed its own vaccine candidate, however, after it showed an insufficient immune response in older people.
The pharmaceutical companies said they expected their shot to be ready in the fourth quarter of 2021, rather than mid-2021.
Sanofi is developing another COVID-19 vaccine candidate with US firm Translate Bio using mRNA technology, similar to Pfizer and BioNTech’s treatment. Phase I trials are expected to begin this quarter.
With Post wires