BERLIN (Reuters) – BioNTech is working closely with partner Pfizer to increase production of the COVID-19 vaccine, its founders said, warning that there would be gaps in supply until other vaccines are deployed.
The German biotech startup has led the vaccine race, but its shot has been slow to reach the European Union due to the relatively late approval of the bloc’s health regulator and the small size of the order made by Brussels · Les.
Delays in the deployment of the home-grown vaccine have caused consternation in Germany, where some regions had to stop vaccinations a few days after inoculation began.
“It doesn’t look good at the moment: a hole is popping up because other approved vaccines are missing and we need to fill the gap with our own vaccine,” Ugur Sahin, CEO of BioNTech, told the news weekly Spiegel.
Sahin founded BioNTech with his wife, Oezlem Tuereci, who is the company’s chief medical officer. Both blamed the EU’s decision to spread the orders in the hope that more vaccines would be approved quickly.
The United States ordered 600 million doses of BioNTech / Pfizer fired in July, while the EU waited until November to place an order at half that size.
“At some point it became clear that it would not be possible to deliver so quickly,” Tuereci told Spiegel. “By then it was too late to place follow-up orders.”
Following the publication of the interview, BioNTech said it was in talks with Brussels to increase production.
“We are in productive talks with the European Commission on how to make more of our vaccine in Europe, for Europe,” a spokeswoman said.
NEW PRODUCTION
BioNTech expects to launch a new production line in Marburg, Germany, ahead of schedule in February, with the potential to produce 250 million doses during the first half of 2021, Sahin said.
There are also talks with contract manufacturers and it should be clearer by the end of January, he added.
Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Twitter that German authorities would do everything possible to allow a quick start in Marburg.
The federal government, which has backed BioNTech with 375 million euros ($ 458 million) in funding, has resisted calls from opposition leaders to speed up production of its vaccine by issuing mandatory licenses to other manufacturers. medicines.
Another Moderna vaccine is expected to be phased out by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on 6 January.
Spahn has also urged the EMA to swiftly approve the Oxford-AstraZeneca University shot removed by Britain. The EU timetable for this treatment remains uncertain.
This vaccine was approved on Friday by India’s drug regulator for emergency use, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
VIRAL VARIANT
Sahin said the BioNTech / Pfizer vaccine, which uses messenger RNA to instruct the human immune system to fight the coronavirus, should be able to deal with a new, more contagious variant first detected in Britain.
“We are testing whether our vaccine can also neutralize this variant and we will know more soon,” he said.
Asked to deal with a severe mutation, he said it would be possible to modify the vaccine as required within six weeks, although these new treatments could require additional regulatory approvals.
Sahin also said BioNTech will make its vaccine, which requires storage at about 70 degrees Celsius (minus 94 Fahrenheit), easier to handle, adding that a next-generation vaccine could be ready by the end of summer.
Report by Douglas Busvine; Edited by John Stonestreet and David Goodman