Biotech ties up deal three days after World Health Organization issued an emergency use listing for the mRNA vaccine

Moderna has agreed a deal with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance to supply up to 500 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to low- and middle-income countries, the biotech said on Monday.

Under the terms of the supply agreement made with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance — an international organisation created to improve access to new and underused vaccines for children living in the world's poorest countries — on behalf of COVAX, Moderna will deliver an initial 34 million doses in the fourth quarter of 2021.

Through this advanced purchase agreement (APA), Gavi also has the option to buy 466 million additional doses in 2022, and options to potentially access doses of variant-adapted vaccine in the future. All doses are offered at Moderna’s lowest tiered price in line with its global access commitments , the biotech said.

Initial supply of the mRNA vaccine covers the 92 Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) low- and middle-income countries, with the potential to allocate and supply to self-financing participants in the future.

Last week, the Moderna vaccine received WHO Emergency Use Listing, making it eligible to be supplied to COVAX Facility participants.

COVAX is a global initiative co-led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and WHO, to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries, regardless of income levels.

Moderna’s vaccine is part of the COVAX R&D portfolio. In January 2020, COVAX co-lead CEPI provided initial investment in Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine programme to support production of the first clinical trial materials.

Following on from the negotiation and signing of the APA between Gavi and Moderna, a long-term agreement will be signed between UNICEF and Moderna to enable the logistics of procurement and delivery of these doses to Gavi COVAX AMC participants.