Biological E (BE) on Tuesday said it will use U.S. biopharmaceutical firm Dynavax Technologies Corporation’s CpG 1018 advanced adjuvant in its sub unit COVID-19 vaccine candidate Corbevax.
The firms have entered into a commercial supply agreement that extends through 2022. The agreement includes doses for delivery in 2021, which were manufactured under the previously announced funding agreement between the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and Dynavax, said Biological E, which expects to unveil Corbevax later this year subject to regulatory approvals.
Last month, while stating it had finalised arrangements with Biological E to reserve 30 crore doses of the vaccine, the Union Ministry of Health had said the vaccine was undergoing Phase-3 clinical trial after showing promising results in Phase 1 and 2.
A RBD protein sub-unit vaccine, it is likely to be available in the next few months. The vaccine doses will be manufactured and stockpiled by Biological-E from August-December 2021. For this purpose, an advance payment of ₹1,500 crore would be made to the company, the Ministry had said.
While Biological E MD Mahima Datla said Corbevax would play a critical role in eradicating the global pandemic, Dynavax CEO Ryan Spencer said the company was proud to extend collaboration with BE with a commercial supply agreement and deliver significant amounts of CpG 1018. The adjuvant was used in Heplisav-B, an adult hepatitis B vaccine approved by the USFDA and the European Commission.
