Novavax revises COVID-19 vaccine deal with Serum Institute; aims for 2 billion doses

US-based drug developer vavax Inc on Tuesday declared that it has revised its existing agreement with Serum Institute of India Private Limited (SIIPL), world's largest vaccine manufacturing company, in order to produce 2 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines.

vavax h signed a deal with Serum Institute in August, to produce a minimum of one billion doses of its vaccine candidate when approved for low and middle-income countries and India. As part of augmented agreement, Serum Institute will also manufacture antigen component of vaccine, called 'NVX-CoV2373'. With this vavax claims to bring its manufacturing capacity to over two billion doses by mid-2021.

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“Today’s agreement with Serum Institute enhances vavax’ commitment to equitable global delivery of our COVID-19 vaccine. With this arrangement, we have w put in place a global supply chain that includes recently acquired Praha Vaccines and partnerships with leing biologics manufacturers, enabling production on three continents,” Stanley C. Erck, President and Chief Executive Officer of vavax said in company's official statement.

“We continue to work with extraordinary urgency to develop our vaccine, w in Phase 2 clinical trials, and for which we anticipate starting Phase 3 efficacy trials around world in coming weeks", he ded.

agreement with SIIPL augments a global supply chain that will deliver over two billion doses of NVX-CoV2373 annually as of 2021, company said in its statement.

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vavax's vaccine currently in mid-st trials

Currently, vavax's vaccine is in  mid-st trials after an early-st study showed it produced high levels of antibodies against vel coronavirus infection. During third quarter, company plans to begin late-st trials. In August,  company said it will supply 60 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine candidate to UK beginning as early as first quarter of 2021.

vavax is also preparing to deliver 100 million doses to United States by January after it was awarded $1.6 billion for its potential vaccine. It has also signed supply agreements with Japan and Cana. ditionally, or drugmakers such as Moderna Inc and  Pfizer Inc have alrey begun large late-st studies of ir experimental vaccines.

Meanwhile, Serum Insitute of India is world's largest vaccine manufacturer by number of doses produced and sold globally which about more than 1.3 billion doses. Vaccines manufactured by Serum are certified by World Health Organization, Geneva and are being used in approximately 170 countries across globe.

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