UK to get 30 million vaccine doses if trials work

Oxford University had finalised a global licencing agreement with government support with AstraZeneca for the commercialisation and manufacturing of the vaccine. Britain business secretary Alok Sharma said that the first clinical trial for the COVID-19 vaccine was progressing well. Despite work on the vaccine he warned there were no certainties that one would be found.

London: UK Business Secretary Alok Sharma announced on Sunday Oxford University had finalised a deal with a pharmaceutical company to manufacture 100 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, should its trials be successful.

Speaking at a daily virus briefing at Downing Street he said the university had finalised a global licencing agreement with government support with AstraZeneca for the commercialisation and manufacturing of the Oxford vaccine.

"This means that if the vaccine is successful, AstraZeneca will work to make 30 million doses available by September for the UK as part of an agreement to do over 100 million doses in total," he said.

The UK would be the first to get access he said but it would also ensure it was able to make the vaccine available to developing countries at the lowest possible cost.

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Sharma said the first clinical trial for the COVID-19 vaccine at Oxford University was progressing well.

However, despite work on the vaccine he warned there were no certainties that one would be found.

He said the government was working with scientists and medical experts to identify promising drugs to help treat patients with symptoms.

"I can report that six drugs have now entered initial live clinical trials," he said. "If positive results are seen, they will advance into larger-scale trials."

(AP)