Canada lining up millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines

Sanofi (NYSE:SNY), GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK) and Moderna (NSDQ:MRNA) have all agreed to supply Canada with a total of more than 90 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Beginning in 2021, Government of Canada is set to receive up to 72 million doses of an adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine from Sanofi and GSK, while the country also increased its confirmed order commitment with Moderna to 20 million doses of its mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

Sanofi and GSK initiated a Phase 1/2 study on Sept. 3, enrolling 440 subjects with the first results anticipated for early December 2020 with eyes on a pivotal Phase 3 study before the end of the year, lining it up for a regulatory approval request in the first half of 2021.

Both companies have vaccine manufacturing sites in Canada which will contribute to the vaccine production there and elsewhere, as they landed a $2.1 billion contract from the Trump administration for the vaccine candidate in July.

“Today’s announcement showcases our unwavering commitment to develop a COVID-19 vaccine that is available to everyone when it comes to market,” Sanofi executive VP & global head of Sanofi Pasteur Thomas Triomphe said in a news release. “To address a global health crisis of this magnitude, it takes partnerships and we are grateful to Canada for its collaboration, and to GSK for partnering with us to develop a safe and effective vaccine.”

Moderna’s vaccine candidate, which had its Phase 3 trial launched in July, remains on track for the delivery of up to 56 million doses in total for Canada beginning in 2021, according to a news release. That supply will be sourced from Moderna’s European production capacity through its partnerships with manufacturer Lonza and fill-finish servicer ROVI.

The Cambridge, Mass.-based company has enrolled more than 75% of its participants and 11,879 in total have received their second vaccination as of Sept. 18, 2020.

“We appreciate the confidence in Moderna’s mRNA platform and the progress we are making with mRNA-1273, as demonstrated by the increased order from the Canadian government today,” Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said in the release. “This support, along with that of our stakeholders, drives us forward as we scale-up our global manufacturing and distribution network.”

All three of the companies set to supply Canada with these 92 million doses were among the nine different drug companies whose executives announced a pledge to ensure safety with a potential COVID-19 vaccine earlier this month.