Coronavirus Vaccine: US To Pay $1.2B For 300 Million Doses Of Experimental COVID-19 Vaccines – By Arthur Villasanta (IB Times) / May 21 2020
- The candidate COVID-19 vaccine, AZD1222, is being developed by AstraZeneca
- The U.S. has invested $1.2 billion to fast tracking advanced clinical studies, manufacturing and development of AZD1222
- AstraZeneca said it’s working to secure total manufacturing capacity for one billion doses
Desperate times means spending a lot of money and hoping for the best. The United States has agreed to pay $1.2 billion for a candidate vaccine still under development that carries with it the chance it might turn out to be a dud.
The United States is willing to pay $1.2 billion for 300 million doses of an experimental COVID-19 vaccine named “AZD1222” being developed and tested by AstraZeneca, a British multinational pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical company based in Cambridge, England. AstraZeneca said it’s working to secure total manufacturing capacity for one billion doses of its experimental vaccine.
The United States’ $1.2 billion investment will go to fast tracking advanced clinical studies, manufacturing and development of AZD1222. In charge of the U.S. end of the deal is the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), which signed the agreement on behalf of the federal government.
BARDA is an office under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It’s responsible for the procurement and development of countermeasures against bioterrorism, including chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats. It’s also responsible for countermeasures against epidemics, pandemic influenza and emerging diseases.
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