European Commission Approved A Contract With Pharmaceutical Companies Biontech-Pfizer

European Commission Approved A Contract With Pharmaceutical Companies Biontech-Pfizer

The European Commission approved a fourth contract with pharmaceutical companies BioNTech-Pfizer, which secures the first purchase of 200 million doses of coronavirus vaccine on behalf of all European Union member states. The agreement also provides for the possibility to request an additional 100 million doses to be delivered once the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine have been demonstrated. Member States will be able to decide to donate the vaccine to lower and middle income countries or to distribute it to other European countries. "Today's agreement with BioNTech-Pfizer expands the broad portfolio of vaccines to be produced in Europe, including contracts already signed with AstraZeneca, Sanofi-GSK and Janssen Pharmaceutica NV and the completion of preparatory talks with CureVac and Moderna," stated in a press release from the Commission. According to this, this diversified portfolio of vaccines will ensure that Europe is well prepared for vaccination when vaccines are shown to be safe and effective. "The Commission has decided to support the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine on the basis of a sound scientific assessment, the technology used, the companies' experience in developing vaccines and their Union-wide production capacity," the press release said. The Commission finances part of the initial costs of vaccine manufacturers in the form of pre-purchase agreements and, in return, acquires the right to purchase a set number of doses within a specific time frame. The funds provided are considered as an advance on vaccines purchased by Member States. The European Commission is committed to ensuring that everyone who needs the vaccine gets it, not just at home but anywhere in the world.