Canada has signed separate deals with Pfizer and Moderna to supply millions of doses of their experimental coronavirus vaccines, informed a top official.
Anita Anand, Procurement Minister said Ottawa was “very, very intensely negotiating” multiple deals with a number of other potential domestic and international vaccine suppliers, but did not give details.
Moderna will provide its mRNA-1273 vaccine candidate. Pfizer, working with BioNTech, said it planned deliveries of the BNT162 mRNA-based vaccine candidate over the course of 2021.
The Canadian government has funded several local projects, including one by Quebec’s Medicago that is in an early-stage trial. It has also approved a local trial for a leading Chinese candidate, from CanSino Biologics.
All potential vaccines will require Health Canada regulatory approval, Anand said, adding that her ministry was procuring the equipment supplies needed to perform the final manufacturing and packaging in Canada.
Separately, Moderna said smaller volume agreements had been priced in the range of $32 to $37 per dose while larger volume agreements would be priced lower.
Navdeep Bains, Innovation Minister said Ottawa was investing C$56 million ($42 million) to support clinical trials by VBI Vaccines.