The UK government has secured an additional 40 million doses of Valneva’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate, taking its total order to 100 million doses.
The UK government previously pre-ordered 60 million doses of Valneva’s vaccine candidate, with these doses initially planned to be delivered by the end of 2021.
In a statement, the government said that the Valneva deal brings the total UK vaccine portfolio to 407 million doses over the next two years.
A report in The Mail on Sunday said that Valneva is preparing to begin manufacturing doses of the vaccine for commercial use at its site in Livingston, Scotland.
The UK government has confirmed this, adding in a statement that Valneva started manufacturing doses of the vaccine last week.
Valneva’s chief executive officer Thomas Lingelbach also said that the COVID-19 vaccine, known as VLA2001, could be made available in Britain between July and September.
The UK government has invested a ‘multi-million sum’ in a facility based in Livingston, Scotland to support manufacturing doses of VLA2001, with over 100 new highly-skilled, local jobs already being supported by this site.
Following the upfront investment, the expanded Livingston facility could also potentially supply up to 100 million doses of VLA2001 to the UK and other countries, according to the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.
Currently, VLA2001 is being evaluated in phase 1/2 trials across four National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) testing sites in the UK.
The vaccine candidate is made of inactivated whole virus particles of SARS-CoV-2 with high S-protein density. This is combined with two adjuvants – alum and CpG 1018 – to boost antibody levels.
VLA2001 uses the same manufacturing platform used by Valneva to create its licensed Japanese encephalitis vaccine, Ixiaro.
Following initial planned analysis of the phase 1/2 trial data, Valneva is planning to select an optimal dose of VLA2001 and initiate additional trials in the second quarter of 2021.
“The Valneva vaccine showcases the best of Scottish expertise right at the heart of our UK vaccine endeavour, demonstrating the strength of our union and what the UK can achieve when it works together,” said Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
“If the vaccine is authorised by the health regulator, it will be rolled out across the four nations as quickly as possible,” he added.