Pfizer and BioNTech have entered into an agreement with the European Commission (EC) to supply an additional 200 million doses of their Covid-19 vaccine.
The deal also includes an option to request for the supply of an additional 100 million doses.
The latest move follows a first agreement signed with EC for the supply of 300 million Covid-19 vaccine doses last year.
Delivery of the additional 200 million doses are expected to be completed this year and further estimated 75 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to be supplied in the second quarter.
By the end of the year, the total number of doses to be delivered to the EU member states is now 500 million, with the probability of increasing it to 600 million, depending on the option approved by EC in the new deal.
COMIRNATY, the companies’ Covid-19 Vaccine, is being produced in BioNTech’s and Pfizer’s manufacturing facilities in Europe.
Based on BioNTech proprietary mRNA technology, the Covid-19 Vaccine was developed by both BioNTech and Pfizer.
The two companies are aiming to produce nearly two billion doses by the end of the year.
This can be achieved by continuous process improvements, expansion at current facilities as well as by adding new suppliers and contract manufacturers, along with the updated six-dose labelling.
BioNTech CEO and co-founder Ugur Sahin said: “Broad access to well-tolerated and highly efficacious vaccines is essential to halt the pandemic. We have taken additional steps to expand our manufacturing capacity to two billion doses in 2021.
“We will initiate production at our Marburg facility this month and have strengthened our manufacturing network with additional partners.
“We are continuing to evaluate, together with governments, authorities and partners at all levels, how we might address an even higher future supply requirement for our vaccines.”