Sanofi & GSK COVID Vaccine Shows Positive Result in Phase-2 Trials

Sanofi said it was committed to providing manufacturing support to other vaccine producers.

COVID-19 vaccine. Representational image.

(Photo: IANS)

French pharmaceutical company Sanofi and Britain's GSK announced on Monday, May 17, that their vaccine candidate had “achieved strong rates of neutralizing antibody responses, in line with those measured in people who have recovered from COVID-19, in all adult age groups in a phase-2 study with 722 volunteers.”

It said in a statement, "A global pivotal phase-3 study is expected to start in the coming weeks."

“Our phase-2 data confirms the potential of this vaccine to play a role in addressing this ongoing global public health crisis.”

Thomas Triomphe, Executive Vice-President and Global Head of Sanofi Pasteur

He added, “As we know multiple vaccines will be needed, especially as variants continue to emerge, and the requirement for effective booster vaccines that can be stored at normal temperatures, increases.”

The statement added, “After a single injection, high neutralising antibody levels were generated in participants with evidence of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, suggesting strong potential for development as a booster vaccine.”

The phase-3 trial is expected to enrol more than 35,000 adult participants from a broad range of countries and will assess the efficacy of two vaccine formulations

The partnership between Sanofi and GSK, is combining a Sanofi-developed antigen, which stimulates the production of germ-killing antibodies, with GSK’s adjuvant technology, a substance that bolsters the immune response triggered by a vaccine.

Sanofi is also committed to providing manufacturing support to other vaccine producers.

The company recently announced it will manufacture up to 200 million doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for the US, starting in September. Earlier this year, Sanofi had announced that the company will provide support to BioNTech for 125 million doses for the European Union.

In February, Sanofi said it would support Johnson & Johnson for the production of its COVID-19 vaccine at a rate of approximately 12 million doses per month.