GSK eyes next-gen COVID vaccine as it inks deal to help boost current supply

Enlarge / A vaccine syringe and vial in front of the GSK (GlaxoSmithKline) logo. (credit: Getty | Anadolu Agency)

After its own COVID-19 vaccine setback, GlaxoSmithKline has inked a $180 million deal to help German biotech company CureVac manufacture 100 million doses of its mRNA vaccine, which is currently under development. The deal also lays the groundwork for the two to cook up a next-generation vaccine that would protect against several concerning coronavirus variants at the same time.

The partnership is the latest example of a pharmaceutical giant teaming up with a peer—in some cases a rival—to help address the global shortage of desperately needed COVID-19 vaccines.

On January 27, Sanofi—one of the world’s leading vaccine makers—announced that it would use its manufacturing prowess to produce the vaccine developed by rivals Pfizer and BioNTech, which has already been authorized for use in the US and the EU. Sanofi will begin producing over 125 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine from its plant in Frankfurt, Germany, later this year.

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