Pfizer Inc and German biotech firm BioNTech SE will get $1.95 billion from the U.S. government to produce and deliver 100 million doses of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate, the companies said on Wednesday, Reuters reports.
The agreement allows the U.S. government to acquire an additional 500 million doses, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense said.
More than 150 coronavirus vaccines using a variety of technologies are in development globally, with some two dozen already in human trials. Governments have signed deals with drugmakers to secure the supply of various vaccine candidates.
Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine candidate is among those that are set to be tested in a large trial. The vaccine has shown promise in early-stage small studies in humans.
Pfizer will deliver the doses if the product receives Emergency Use Authorization or licensure from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, after completing demonstration of safety and efficacy in a large Phase 3 clinical trial.
