Countries, companies risk billions in race for coronavirus vaccine

A scientist at RNA medicines company Arcturus Therapeutics research a vaccine for the novel coronavirus at a laboratory in San Diego, California, US on March 17, 2020.

Drug companies and the governments and investors that finance them are boosting their “at-risk” spending in unprecedented ways. The overriding consensus among more than 30 drug company executives, government health officials and pandemic-response experts interviewed by Reuters is that the risks are necessary to ensure not only that a vaccine for the new coronavirus is developed quickly, but that it is ready to distribute as soon as it’s approved.

But finding a vaccine that works does little good without the ability to produce and distribute it. That means building manufacturing plants now. One underlying fear, shared by everyone Reuters interviewed, is that even if a vaccine does prove effective, there won’t be enough to go around. The resulting uncertainty makes it especially risky to invest in manufacturing facilities for a given candidate, since different types of vaccines can require very distinct production lines.

J&J is using the same technology to develop vaccines for other viruses, including Ebola. While none has completed testing and won full US approval, trials so far in tens of thousands of people have produced data showing the basic approach is safe, which could speed regulatory approval for the new coronavirus vaccine. But it’s far from a sure bet: Animal test data, due this summer, will give the first hint of the vaccine's effectiveness and human trials will begin in September.

Moderna’s vaccine uses genetic material called messenger RNA to instruct cells in the body to make specific coronavirus proteins that then produce an immune response. A spokesman for Swissmedic, the country’s drug regulator, said it was in contact with Bachmann's group and would not allow trials until the agency is assured that safety risks are addressed.

Under pressure from the WHO, those countries ultimately committed to share 10% of their stockpiles with poorer nations. But due to production and distribution snarls, only about 77 million doses were shipped – far less than needed – and only after the disease had peaked in many regions. But he added that BARDA also is encouraging the companies it backs to build manufacturing capacity outside the United States, “so we can have a global supply all at once.”

One government-backed effort, by Sinovac Biotech Ltd. , is already testing vaccine candidates in humans and awaiting initial data..

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