AstraZeneca Secures Over $1 Billion in BARDA Funding for COVID-19 Vaccine AZD1222, Aims for First Deliveries in September

Source: Jike Pharmaceutical News

On May 21, AstraZeneca announced that it is taking sustained measures to address the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19 and collaborating with multiple countries and multilateral organizations to ensure equitable and widespread global access to the University of Oxford’s vaccine. The company has signed initial agreements for at least 400 million doses, with the first deliveries scheduled to begin in September 2020. To date, a total production capacity of 1 billion doses has been secured, with the aim of reaching further agreements supported by several parallel supply chains. Production capacity will be further expanded in the coming months to ensure the delivery of vaccines accessible worldwide.

Today, AstraZeneca secured over $1 billion in support from the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to initiate the development, manufacturing, and delivery of its vaccine this autumn. The development plan includes a Phase III clinical trial involving 30,000 participants and a pediatric trial. AstraZeneca is also collaborating with international organizations such as the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (GAVI), and the World Health Organization (WHO) to ensure equitable global allocation and distribution of the vaccine. Furthermore, AstraZeneca is engaged in discussions with governments worldwide to expand access opportunities. Additionally, the company is in talks with the Serum Institute of India and other potential partners to increase production and distribution capacity.

AstraZeneca has recently joined forces with the UK government to support the University of Oxford’s vaccine, making rapid progress in efforts to expand its global accessibility. The company will begin supplying the product to the UK from September and has expressed gratitude for the government’s commitment and overall efforts regarding the vaccine. AstraZeneca has currently finalized a licensing agreement with the University of Oxford for the recombinant adenovirus vaccine. Under a recent global development and distribution agreement reached with the university’s Jenner Institute and the Oxford Vaccine Group, the vaccine, previously known as ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, is now designated AZD1222. AstraZeneca has also agreed to support the establishment of a joint research center at the University of Oxford to conduct research on epidemic preparedness.

The Phase I/II clinical trial of AZD1222 began last month, aiming to evaluate the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of the vaccine in over 1,000 healthy volunteers aged 18 to 55 across several trial sites in southern England. Trial data for this COVID-19 vaccine are expected to be released soon; if positive, later-stage trials will be conducted in more countries. AstraZeneca acknowledges that the vaccine may not prove effective, but remains committed to accelerating the progress of its clinical program and increasing production at risk.

The company’s response to the ongoing pandemic also includes rapidly mobilizing AstraZeneca’s global research efforts to identify neutralizing antibodies against the novel coronavirus, aiming to prevent and treat the progression of COVID-19, with clinical trials anticipated within the next three to five months. Furthermore, the company has swiftly initiated testing of new and existing therapies for infection, including the ongoing CALAVI and ACCORD trials evaluating the efficacy of Calquence (acalabrutinib) in patients with COVID-19, as well as the DARE-19 trial investigating Farxiga (dapagliflozin).

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