The European Commission (EC) has reached a supply agreement with Pfizer and BioNTech for 200 million doses of their investigational COVID-19 vaccine candidate BNT162b2.
Following the initial 200 million doses of the mRNA-based vaccine, the EC will also have an option to request an additional 100 million doses.
Deliveries of the first batches of the vaccine are expected to begin by the end of 2020, dependent on the continued clinical success and regulatory authorisation of BNT162b2.
On Monday, Pfizer and BioNTech announced preliminary results from a phase 3 study of their COVID-19 vaccine, which demonstrated that the vaccine prevented over 90% of infections in vaccinated participants.
The interim analysis was conducted after 94 participants in the study contracted COVID-19, and the study is set to continue until 164 cases have occurred in total.
According to the partner companies, the case split between vaccinated individuals and those who received the placebo indicates a vaccine efficacy rate above 90%, seven days after the second dose of the vaccine.
The BNT162b2 doses for Europe will be produced in BioNTech’s German manufacturing sites and Pfizer’s manufacturing sites in Belgium, the companies said in a joint statement earlier today.
They added that if BNT162b2 receives approval from the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the doses will be ordered by the EU Member States who have elected to receive the vaccine as part of the supply agreement.
“As a company founded in the heart of Europe, we are looking forward to supplying millions of people upon regulatory approval. We would like to thank the Commission and the member states for their support and trust in our COVID-19 vaccine candidate,” said Ugur Sahin, chief executive officer and co-founder of BioNTech.
“Our aim is to develop a safe and effective vaccine to contribute to bringing this pandemic to an end. Only through joint efforts will we be able to do so,” he added.
On 20 July, Pfizer and BioNTech agreed on a supply agreement with the UK to supply 30 million doses of their BNT162b2 vaccine candidate.
A few days later, on 22 July, the companies also agreed to supply up to 600 million doses of the vaccine to the US after signing a deal with the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense.