File photo: Company logo of the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline is seen at their Stevenage facility, Britain October 26, 2020. Reuters/Matthew Childs/File Photo
GlaxoSmithKline Plc and CureVac NV joined forces to create next-generation Covid-19 messenger RNA vaccines that could help protect against multiple variants of the pathogen as infections continue to rise.
The companies aim to have a candidate approved by 2022 as part of a 150 million euro ($180 million) deal, according to a statement Wednesday. Glaxo will also manufacture as much as 100 million doses of CureVac’s current mRNA Covid-19 vaccine, which is still in late-stage trials.
Drugmakers are looking to accelerate the development of shots as new variants emerge, sparking fears some vaccines could become less effective. In also helping CureVac manufacture its current shot, the British pharma giant joins Sanofi, Novartis AG and Bayer AG in throwing its weight behind another company’s Covid vaccines, potentially accelerating the rollout.
Bayer announced plans earlier this week to produce CureVac’s potential vaccine. The German pharma giant has never made vaccines before, and is in the process of acquiring the equipment needed to produce the vaccine at a plant in Germany. The company’s first doses of CureVac’s shot could be ready by the end of this year.
