Vials of the Pfizer BioNtech Covid-19 vaccine
Photographer: Mauricio Palos / Bloomberg
Photographer: Mauricio Palos / Bloomberg
Swiss drug dealer Novartis AG has agreed to help roll out the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, strengthens efforts to meet demand amid concerns about supply constraints.
Production is expected to begin in the second quarter, with delivery estimated in the third quarter, according to a statement from the company on Friday. The pharma giant will be responsible for manufacturing facilities at a site in Stein, Switzerland.
Chief Executive Vas Narasimhan told Bloomberg on Thursday that Novartis was in talks with various companies to help roll out vaccines or coronavirus treatments as the industry moves to boost supply amid fights over accessibility.
French drug dealer Sanofi said earlier in the week that it would allow BioNTech access to a production facility in Frankfurt after its own research collapsed. Germany Merck KGaA is also considering a number of ways to help the biotech company increase capacity, including in the filling and finishing phase of vaccine production, according to a spokesperson.
Under the new agreement, Novartis plans to take major messenger RNA material – the active ingredient from BioNTech – and fill it into filters. Dimensions not published.
“We expect this to be the first of several such agreements,” Steffen Lang, Novartis’ head of technical operations, said in a statement.
Novartis shares traded 0.9% lower in Zurich.
(Updates with information about the agreement)