UK signs Coronavirus Vaccine Deal with Sanofi and GSK

British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and France’s Sanofi are teaming up to develop a new coronavirus vaccine trial.

 

The UK government has secured approximately 60 million doses of experimental treatment in a new deal. This is the 4th coronavirus vaccine deal that the UK has signed. This new wave of experimental drugs is being developed by pharmaceutical giants Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline. This deal comes after a scare that due to Brexit closures, the UK would find themselves without medical supplies.

 

Coronavirus Vaccine Deals

However, this is not the first vaccine deal that the UK government has signed. Already, they have signed up for 100 million doses of a vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University. The UK has also secured 90 million doses of two other vaccines. Although the vaccines seem promising at this stage, it is uncertain whether any of them will work. 

 

Different Approaches

The UK government appears to be adopting a high volume approach. So far, they have signed deals for different vaccine research all of which are using completely different approaches. The UK have opted for 100 million doses of the Oxford vaccine, made from a genetically engineered virus. On top of this, they have signed for 60 million doses of Valneva which utilises an inactive version of the coronavirus. Additionally, they have signed for 30 million doses of the BioNtech/Pfizer vaccine which injects patients with part of the genetic code of the coronavirus. It is thought that by using different vaccine styles, they maximise the chances of finding a successful cure.

 

Other Countries

The UK is not the only country exploring big Pharma and vaccine solutions. Currently, a number of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies are in a race to develop a coronavirus vaccine. Already, testing has begun for many experimental trials. Over 160 research teams are currently in the drug development stage; 35 of those are already in human trials. Governments worldwide have already promised billions of pounds for developing a coronavirus vaccine. With world-wide economies at an all-time low, it is no surprise that governments across the globe are looking for a quick and effective solution.