Sanofi and GSK to Provide the EU with 300 Million Doses of its COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate

Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced on Sept. 18, 2020 that they have signed a purchase agreement with the European Commission to provide up to 300 million doses of the companies’ COVID-19 vaccine, pending regulatory approval.

Under the terms of the agreement, the companies will receive upfront funding from the European Union (EU) for the scale-up of manufacturing capabilities at industrial sites in Belgium, Italy, Germany, and France, a Sanofi press release said. The contract allows for the purchase of the vaccine for all member states of the EU, with the potential to reserve doses for lower- and middle-income countries.

The vaccine candidate uses recombinant protein-based technology used to produce influenza vaccines from Sanofi in combination with GSK’s adjuvant technology, the press release said. Currently, the vaccine is involved in a Phase I/II clinical study with plans for a Phase III study by the end of 2020.