French drugmaker Valneva hasn't captured the global attention of some of its larger counterparts in the race for a COVID-19 vaccine, but a recent billion-dollar deal with the U.K. helped put the company on the map. Now, in a step toward meeting that lofty work order, Valneva has signed on a U.S. manufacturing partner.
Valneva inked a deal with Berkeley, California-based Dynavax to churn out enough adjuvant used in Valneva's COVID-19 vaccine for 190 million doses by 2025, the partners said this week.
Dynavax will produce an initial order of CgP 1018, the adjuvant used in Valneva's VLA2001 vaccine, for 100 million doses, which will be delivered by 2021. Valneva holds an additional option for the equivalent of 90 million doses by 2025, the company said in a release.
Financial terms of the deal were not released. A Valneva spokesperson could not be reached for comment by press time.
Valneva's pact with Dynavax supplements the drugmaker's recent deal with the U.K. to produce up to 190 million doses of VLA2001 for that nation's population by 2025.
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