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TOKYO / LONDON – Countries around the world are paying huge sums to pharmaceutical companies to aid the development, clinical trials, and mass production of COVID-19 vaccines, dwarfing coordinated global efforts.
The United States Advanced Biomedical Research and Development Authority has invested $ 1.2 billion in hunting since early March, when the pandemic began to gain momentum in the United States. The office was created in 2006 under the Department of Health and Human Services to help protect the nation from bioterrorism and other threats.
BARDA is investing not only in the vaccines themselves, but also in their supply chains, so that they can be quickly distributed to the public once approved. It has jointly committed more than $ 1 billion to Johnson & Johnson to develop capacity for more than 1 billion doses.
The modern biotech company has announced a BARDA award of up to $ 483 million for its vaccine candidate. The agency is believed to have committed to buying the product in quantity even before efficacy is established.
I know. USA They aim to have hundreds of millions of doses available by January, according to Anthony Fauci, who heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and is part of the White House coronavirus task force.
“Don’t wait until you get a response before you start manufacturing,” he said. “You are at risk, proactively start doing it, assuming it will work.”
Other countries are also increasing support for vaccine development. In China, three companies and research institutes are believed to be receiving government support to finance, plan clinical trials, and produce candidate vaccines. The country has prioritized testing its effectiveness over security, allowing development to move quickly.
One of the three, Cansino Biologics, has become the first player in the world to participate in second-phase clinical trials, which measure efficacy. The goal is to market a vaccine by the end of the year, a feat that could boost China’s diplomatic influence.
The UK has announced £ 20 million ($ 25.1 million) for the University of Oxford to help with its vaccine project. A recently announced partnership between the university and AstraZeneca aims to produce 100 million doses by the end of the year and to prioritize supply to the UK.
The European Union has also stepped up, offering 80 million euros ($ 88.1 million) to a key German vaccine maker in a likely attempt to ensure that the company prioritizes the bloc over the US. USA
But the EU lacks a single benchmark for vaccine development, possibly reducing efforts there.
“Currently, Europe does not have the equivalent of BARDA, which means that the EU has limited vaccine manufacturing capabilities and countries are independently responsible for storing medical supplies and medicines,” wrote Paul Hudson, CEO of France’s Sanofi, in a comment on the Fortune magazine website. “This leads to competition for scarce resources. We can do better; I have called for the creation of a European equivalent of BARDA to help us develop regional capacities.”
The Japan Medical Research and Development Agency has extended assistance to vaccine developers, albeit of limited size and scope. With no guarantee that foreign-made vaccines will quickly reach Japanese shores, the country will probably also need to help domestic developers increase their production capabilities.
Additional report by Taisei Hoyama in Washington.
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