By Asmau Ahmad
Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE announced on Monday they would supply an additional 100 million doses of COMIRNATY, the companies’ COVID-19 vaccine, to the 27 European Union member states in 2021.
The agreement followed the European Commission’s decision to exercise its option to purchase an additional 100 million doses under its expanded advanced purchase agreement, signed on February 17.
This means the total number of doses to be delivered to the EU would be 600 million.
Health Reporters gathered that the COMIRNATY is to be produced in BioNTech’s and Pfizer’s manufacturing sites in Europe.
The companies said they planned to deliver 250 million doses to the EU in the second quarter, a fourfold increase on the first quarter’s agreed quantity.
Sean Marett, chief business and chief commercial officer of BioNTech, said the additional 100 million doses from this option exercise will further help to support the acceleration of the vaccination campaigns throughout the EU.
“We now intend to deliver a total of 600 million doses to the EU this year, which covers two-thirds of the EU population and represents the largest cumulative supply agreement for COMIRNATY that we have agreed to date globally,” he said.
