Business & Industry News Channel
Sanofi and GSK finalized and signed today an Advanced purchase agreement with the European Commission (EC) for the supply of up to 300 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, once the vaccine is approved. The vaccine candidate is based on the recombinant protein-based technology used by Sanofi to produce an influenza vaccine, and GSK's established adjuvant technology. 
CureVac N.V. (Nasdaq: CVAC), a biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of transformative medicines based on messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) in clinical trials, has received notification from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) that CureVac is expected receive up to 252 million euros to support the development of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate. 
Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech SE (Nasdaq: BNTX) today announced preliminary preclinical data in mouse and non-human primate models from their BNT162b2 mRNA-based vaccine program against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 disease. In a non-human primate preclinical study, immunization with the BNT162b2, a nucleoside-modified messenger RNA (modRNA) candidate, protected rhesus macaques against SARS-CoV-2 infection. 
The CEOs of AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/NYSE: AZN), BioNTech (NASDAQ: BNTX), GlaxoSmithKline plc (LSE/NYSE: GSK), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, Moderna, Inc. (Nasdaq: MRNA), Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX), Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE), and Sanofi (NASDAQ: SNY), today announced a historic pledge, outlining a united commitment to uphold the integrity of the scientific process as they work towards potential global regulatory filings and approvals of the first COVID-19 vaccines. Sanofi and GSK today started the Phase 1/2 clinical trial for their adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine candidate, developed in partnership by Sanofi and GSK, uses the same recombinant protein-based technology as one of Sanofi's seasonal influenza vaccines with GSK's established pandemic adjuvant technology. Sanofi today announced that the global Phase 3 trial investigating intravenously administered Kevzara® (sarilumab) at a dose of 200 mg or 400 mg[1] in severely or critically ill[2] patients hospitalized with COVID-19 did not meet its primary endpoint and key secondary endpoint[3] when Kevzara was compared to placebo added to usual hospital care. 
Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (Nasdaq: VIR) and GlaxoSmithKline plc (LSE/NYSE: GSK) announced that the first patient was dosed last week in a phase 2/3 study with VIR-7831 (also known as GSK4182136), a fully human anti-SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus-2) monoclonal antibody, for the early treatment of COVID-19 in patients who are at high risk of hospitalisation.