The pharmaceutical group AstraZeneca is expected to supply all of the member countries of the european Union as soon as a vaccine against the Covid-19 will be discovered, said Saturday the German ministry of Health. The company has signed an agreement with Germany, France, Italy and the netherlands.
The development of a vaccine could be successfully completed by the end of the year, according to the AFP to government sources in germany. The doses “must be distributed to all member States who want to participate, depending on the size of their population”, according to the ministry.
“To ensure that vaccines are available in large numbers very soon after the possible approval this year or next year, the production capacity must be guaranteed by contract as of now”, he argues.
The”quick action and coordinated a group of member States” will benefit “all citizens of the EU) welcomed Saturday the German minister of Health, Jens Spahn.
The pharmaceutical group has estimated Saturday in a press release that the number of doses could go up to $ 400 million.
Privileged access
The european Commission defended on Friday the idea to partner countries of the EU to come together to ensure a privileged access to a future vaccine. It argued in particular for the implementation of contracts anticipated purchases.
At a time when the laboratories are trying to find a vaccine in record time – twelve to 18 months, against several years in normal times, these advance payments would allow them to invest in production capabilities, while clinical trials on humans are not yet finalized.
This commitment would give the right of member States to purchase a certain number of doses at a certain price once the vaccine has been available, in return for the risk taken on investments.
The main pharmaceutical groups are engaged in a race to develop a vaccine against the coronavirus, which has so far made more than 417’000 people and infected more than 7.4 million people in the world.
Results expected in September
AstraZeneca had informed it on Friday that he was waiting for the September results on the efficacy of the vaccine against the new coronavirus on which it is working with the university of Oxford. Tests are carried out in Great Britain, and Brazil become the epicenter of the pandemic.
In total, a dozen work on different vaccines have reached the stage of clinical trials in the world. (AFP/nxp)
Created: 13.06.2020, 17: 05
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