Sanofi, GlaxoSmithKline Contribute 200 Million Vaccine Doses to COVAX Project

Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) have signed an agreement with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance pledging to provide 200 million doses of their COVID-19 vaccine to the COVAX initiative should the vaccine clear regulatory hurdles.

“To address a global health crisis of this magnitude, it takes unique partnerships. [This] commitment … can help us together stand a better chance of bringing the pandemic under control,” said Sanofi Executive Vice President and Global Head Thomas Triomphe.

The companies said they will contribute the massive supply of doses to COVAX, a World Health Organization (WHO) and Gavi-led initiative to ensure access to coronavirus vaccines in poorer nations, once they receive the appropriate approvals. That may take some time, as Sanofi’s and GSK’s vaccine candidate lags behind other vaccine hopefuls that may soon receive Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) should late-stage trial data confirm their safety and efficacy.

The two drugmakers kicked off a phase 1/2 study in September and anticipate the first results from the 440-patient trial in early December. If results are promising, the companies plan to begin a phase 3 study before the end of the year and file for regulatory approval in the first half of 2021. Sanofi has begun scaling up manufacturing of the vaccine’s antigen, while GSK is ramping up production of its adjuvant.

The COVAX project aims to deliver 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to 92 lower income nations by the end of 2021 and has already gotten 92 higher-income members to participate, according to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. The U.S. and Russia are the only superpower nations that have not elected to support the project. — James Miessler