If the discussions are fruitful, Moderna is expected to supply 40 million doses of mRNA-1273 vaccine in South Korea
Moderna office in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Credit: Wikipedia.org/Fletcher.)
Moderna, a Massachusetts-based biotechnology company, has confirmed that it is engaged in discussions with the Government of South Korea to potentially supply 40 million doses of mRNA-1273, its Covid-19 vaccine in the country.
Once the discussions are fruitful, Moderna is expected to begin the distribution of the vaccine in the second quarter of next year.
Few days ago, the company secured Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for its mRNA-1273 vaccine against Covid-19 for people who are 18 years of age or older, by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Moderna said that the delivery of the drug will begin immediately to the US Government. The company will continue gathering additional data and plans to file a Biologics License Application (BLA) with the FDA requesting full licensure next year.
The Department of Defense (DoD) has partnered with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to manage allocation and distribution of the vaccine in the US, under Operation Warp Speed.
The allocation will be prioritised as per the populations identified by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
Nearly 20 million doses are expected to be delivered to the US Government by the end of this month, the company said.
By the first quarter of next year, Moderna expects to make between 100 million and 125 million doses available globally, with 85 to 100 million to be made available in the US alone.
The company had also secured authorisation from Canadian health department Health Canada for its Covid-19 vaccine.
Health Canada’s authorisation is based on a rolling review of data that was announced this October. The review includes data from phase 3 COVE study involving 30,000 participants.