Pfizer and BioNTech inked a $1.95 billion deal with HHS and the U.S. Defense Department on July 22 to secure up to 600 million doses of BNT162, the two drugmakers' jointly-developed COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
Under the deal, the U.S. will receive 100 million doses of BNT162 and can obtain up to 500 million more doses. The U.S. plans to distribute the dosages among Americans at no charge.
The BNT162 program combines BioNTech's mRNA technology and Pfizer's manufacturing capabilities. The drugmakers expect to produce 100 million doses by the end of the year and more than 1.3 billion doses by the end of 2021, depending on the final dose selection from the candidate's clinical trial.
Pfizer and BioNTech are slated to begin a phase 2b/3 trial for safety and efficacy at the end of July, which could put them on a path to obtain regulatory review as early as October.