(Reuters) - AstraZeneca (L:AZN) has expanded its agreement with Oxford Biomedica (L:OXB) to mass-produce its COVID-19 potential vaccine, the cell therapy firm said on Tuesday.
Drugmakers are racing to combat the pandemic, which has killed more than 850,000 people and infected over 25 million.
There are no approved vaccines for COVID-19, but AstraZeneca's vaccine is widely seen as one of the leading candidates, with reports that the United States is aiming for a fast-track approval before the November presidential election.
The company has been granted protection from future product liability claims related to the vaccine by most of the countries with which it has so far struck supply agreements, a senior executive told Reuters.
Below are the main details of the vaccine and its supply and production deals.
TYPE
** The shot, called AZD1222 or ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, is a recombinant viral vector vaccine developed by the University of Oxford.
** It was licensed to AstraZeneca in April.
** The vaccine candidate uses a weakened version of a chimpanzee common-cold virus that encodes instructions for making proteins from the novel coronavirus to build immunity.
PROTECTION DURATION
** The shot is likely to provide protection for about a year, and the company is leaning towards a two-dose strategy for the potential vaccine.
EXPECTED COST
** AstraZeneca says it will be able to manufacture the vaccine at a few dollars per dose.
** Pricing in Latin America, while still not final, is not expected to exceed $4 per dose, said AstraZeneca's Mexico head.
** India's Serum Institute said it will price the shot at $3 per dose for the country and other emerging economies.
** According to Italy's health ministry, an AZD1222 shot would cost about 2.5 euros ($2.8) per dose in Europe.
** AstraZeneca does not expect to profit from the vaccine candidate during the pandemic.
** Costs in other regions have not been disclosed.
TRIALS
** AstraZeneca said on Monday it has begun enrolling adults for a U.S.-funded, 30,000-subject late-stage study of the vaccine.
** AstraZeneca's CEO said good data had come in so far on the vaccine, after early-stage trials showed it was safe and produced an immune response.
** Trials at different stages are underway in Britain, Brazil, South Africa, United States and India. Trials are planned in Japan and Russia as well.
** Talks are ongoing with Mexico, and a smaller early-stage study is being conducted in South Africa to see how the vaccine works in those with HIV.
TIMELINE
** Data could be given to regulators this year.
** The vaccine could be rolled out by year-end, but there is no certainty of that, the lead developer said in July.
** Data from late-stage studies is expected around September.
** Delivery of the first doses is expected between September and October.
** Experts have predicted a safe and effective vaccine could take 12-18 months to develop.
TARGET DOSES
** 3 billion.
TIE-UPS
** Even before conclusive evidence of the vaccine's success or failure, AstraZeneca has signed deals to produce and supply the shot. With U.S. backing, the company also tied up with IQVIA (N:IQV) in July to speed up trials.