}
Reuters
Shares of CureVac, a German biotech company backed by Bill Gates, went as much as 18% into premarket trading on Thursday after the company said it was in talks with the European Commission to supply doses of its potential coronavirus vaccine.
The potential contract with the European Commission aims to provide the Member States of the European Union with up to 225 million doses of the vaccine for coronavirus once it has been proven safe and effective against COVID-19, the company said in a press release.
Read more: Jefferies says buying these 7 supplies for school back, ready for big returns with much of the U.S. at a distance
The contract would also give the European Commission the option to purchase an additional 180 million doses, bringing the total to 405 million doses of the potential vaccine.
If an agreement is reached, it would mark the company’s first bilateral supply deal, according to Reuters.
CureVac’s mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate is currently undergoing a Phase 1 clinical trial on several sites in Germany and Belgium, with the aim of determining the safety and effectiveness of the drug in humans, the company said. It expects to have test results early in the fourth quarter of 2020, and move to the next phase.
CureVac has gained more than 255% since its recent public trade debut through the close of Wednesday.
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