Sanofi and GSK will supply up to 300 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to EU

Sanofi and GSK today completed and signed an advanced purchase agreement with EC to supply up to 300 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine once the vaccine is approved. The vaccine candidate is based on Sanofi's recombinant protein-based technology used to produce influenza vaccines, as well as GSK's proven adjuvant technology. The final agreement confirms a statement made by the two companies on July 31 and marks a key milestone in protecting the European population from COVID-19.

The contract will allow for the purchase of vaccines against COVID-19 from all EU member states, which can donate reserved doses to low- and middle-income countries. The EU will provide upfront funding to support the expansion of Sanofi and GSK manufacturing capabilities on European territory. Using Sanofi's and GSK's industrial sites in Belgium, Italy, Germany and France, the antigen and final vaccine doses will be manufactured in European countries.

The two companies announced on September 3 the launch of their Phase 1/2 clinical study to support the development of the vaccine. Phase 3 studies are scheduled to begin in late 2020 and could receive regulatory approval in the first half of 2021. Thanks in part to the agreement signed today, Sanofi and GSK intend to scale up production of antigens and adjuvants to produce up to one billion doses of vaccine per year in total to help meet the urgent global demand for vaccines.