The European Union on Tuesday has reached a deal with drugmaker Moderna for the supply of its experimental coronavirus vaccine candidate, the head of the European Commission said.
“I am happy to announce that tomorrow we will approve a new contract to secure another COVID-19 vaccine,” European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said. “The deal “allows us to buy up to 160 million doses of a vaccine produced by Moderna,” he added.
Last week Moderna said its experimental vaccine was 94.5% effective in preventing COVID-19, based on interim data from a late-stage clinical trial.
“According to the results of clinical trials, this vaccine could be highly effective against COVID-19. Once the vaccine is indeed proven as safe and effective, every member state will receive it at the same time on a pro rata basis,” Ursula von der Leyen said.
Actual purchases will be carried out by EU governments if the vaccine is approved by the EU’s drug regulator. An EU official involved in the talks told Reuters last week the EU was seeking a price below $25 per dose for Moderna’s vaccine. But Moderna Chief Executive Stephane Bancel said on Sunday the company would charge governments between $25 and $37 per dose, depending on the amount ordered.
It is the sixth supply deal the EU has negotiated with COVID-19 vaccine makers and takes the total number of doses secured by the bloc to 1.96 billion for its population of around 450 million.
Brussels has already struck deals with AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech, Sanofi-GSK, Johnson & Johnson and CureVac.
