AZ ramps up supply capacity for COVID-19 vaccine

AstraZeneca has sealed landmark agreements with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, and the Serum Institute of India (SII) to broaden global access to the University of Oxford’s COVID-19 vaccine.

The company said it has reached a $750-million agreement with CEPI and Gavi to support the manufacturing, procurement and distribution of 300 million doses of the vaccine, with delivery starting by the end of the year.

A licensing agreement with SII has organised for the supply of one billion doses for low and middle-income countries, with a commitment to provide 400 million before the end of 2020.

The drug giant said it is building a number of supply chains in parallel across around the globe to secure equitable access at no profit during the pandemic, and has so far secured manufacturing capacity for two billion doses of the vaccine.

“We are working tirelessly to honour our commitment to ensure broad and equitable access to Oxford’s vaccine across the globe and at no profit,” said Pascal Soriot, AZ' chief executive.

The agreements mark “an important step in helping us supply hundreds of millions of people around the world, including to those in countries with the lowest means”.

“We have seen tremendous willingness from donor governments to support equitable access, particularly to developing countries – and it is incredibly heartening to see the private sector join in this effort,” said Dr Seth Berkley, Gavi's chief executive. “We encourage other vaccine manufacturers to work with us towards the shared global goal of finding solutions for this unprecedented pandemic.”

AZ recently agreed to supply 400 million doses to the US and UK after reaching a licence agreement with Oxford University for its recombinant adenovirus vaccine, formerly ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and now known as AZD1222.

Oxford University recently kicked off a Phase II/III trial of AZD1222 in about 10,000 adult volunteers, and other late-stage trials are due to begin in a number of countries.