GSK to Manufacture 1B Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine Adjuvant System

GSK recently announced it will manufacture one billion doses of its pandemic vaccine adjuvant system, in 2021, to support the development of various adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine candidates.

For more coronavirus updates, visit our resource page, updated twice daily by Xtelligent Healthcare Media.

The technology system can decrease the amount of vaccine protein required per dose. This allows more vaccine doses to be produced for more individuals. 

Many vaccines and treatments today use a combination of a protein-based antigen together with an adjuvant. An adjuvant enhances the immune response to viruses and has been proven to create a longer-lasting immunity against infections than the vaccine alone. 

In all cases, vaccines containing adjuvants are tested for safety and effectiveness in clinical trials before they are licensed for use in the US and continuously monitored by CMS and FDA once the vaccines are approved.

“We believe that more than one vaccine will be needed to address this global pandemic and we are working with partners around the world to do so,” Roger Connor, president of GSK Global Vaccines said in the announcement.

“We believe that our innovative pandemic adjuvant technology has the potential to help improve the efficacy and scale up of multiple COVID-19 vaccines,” he added. “With this significant expansion in our manufacturing capacity, we can help deliver up to 1 billion doses of adjuvanted vaccines through 2021, helping protect many more people and support the global effort to fight COVID-19.”

Up until now, GSK stated that it has prioritized its efforts towards making its pandemic adjuvant technology more widely available. The company has formed various partnerships with organizations, including scientific partners in North America, Europe, and China, to develop vaccines.

GSK said it will continue to make an effort for its adjuvant to be available globally and is currently in discussions with governments and global institutions regarding funding for production and supply of the adjuvant.

The company will manufacture, fill, and finish adjuvant for use in COVID-19 vaccines at sites in the UK, US, Canada, and Europe. 

“Making the adjuvant available to the world’s poorest countries will also be a key part of these efforts, including donations, by working with governments and the global institutions that prioritize access,” officials said in a statement. 

GSK noted that any profit generated from sales of its portfolio of collaborations will be donated in support of COVID-19 related research and preparedness. 

The company has been on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic since its start, forming various partnerships to uncover a potential virus treatment. 

Last month, GSK and Sanofi signed a letter of intent to develop an adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine. 

As part of the partnership with GKS, Sanofi will provide its S-protein COVID-19 antigen, which is based on a recombinant DNA technology, and GSK will provide its pandemic adjuvant technology. 

Using the technology, Sanofi found that the S-protein has an exact genetic match to the proteins found on the surface of COVID-19. DNA sequence encoding of the antigen has also been combined into the DNA of the baculovirus expression platform, the basis of Sanofi’s licensed influenza product in the US, the announcement stated.

Sanofi and GSK expect to initiate Phase I clinical trials in the second half of 2020. If the trials show success, the companies plan to complete the development required for availability by the second half of 2021.