GSK and CureVac to Collaborate on Next-Generation COVID-19 Vaccines
Both companies will provide resources and expertise to research, develop, and manufacture multiple mRNA vaccine candidates, including multi-valent and monovalent approaches.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced on Feb. 3, 2021 that it is entering into a EUR150 million (US$180 million) collaboration with CureVac to develop next-generation messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines for COVID-19 with the potential to address multiple emerging variants in one vaccine. Additionally, GSK will manufacture up to 100 million doses of CureVac’s current COVID-19 vaccine, CVnCoV, in 2021.
Under the terms of the agreement, GSK will provide an upfront payment of EUR 75 million (US$90 million) and an additional payment of EUR 75 million (US$90 million) if certain milestones are met, GSK said in a company press release. GSK will hold marketing authorization for the vaccine and will have rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize the vaccine in all countries except for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Both companies will provide resources and expertise to research, develop, and manufacture multiple mRNA vaccine candidates, including multi-valent and monovalent approaches, according to the press release. The program will start immediately with the goal of producing a vaccine by 2022.
“We believe that next generation vaccines will be crucial in the continued fight against COVID-19,” said Emma Walmsley, CEO, GSK, in the press release. “This new collaboration builds on our existing relationship with CureVac and means that together, we will combine our scientific expertise in mRNA and vaccine development to advance and accelerate the development of new COVID-19 vaccine candidates. At the same time, we will also support the production of CureVac’s first generation vaccines with the manufacture of 100 million doses in 2021.”
“We are very pleased to build on our existing relationship with GSK with a new agreement to jointly develop next-generation mRNA-based vaccines, in addition to our current candidate CVnCoV,” added Franz-Werner Haas, CEO of CureVac, in the press release. “With the help of GSK’s proven vaccine expertise, we are equipping ourselves to tackle future health challenges with novel vaccines.”
Source: GSK
