In recent weeks, the Australian government has been announcing various agreements with pharmaceutical companies for COVID-19 vaccines. These agreements are critical in ensuring that Australians have access to vaccines as soon as they become available, and in the quantities required to immunize the entire population.
The agreements that have been announced so far include those with AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Novavax. Under these agreements, the government will purchase millions of doses of vaccines, with delivery expected to start in early 2021. The exact numbers of doses and the terms of the agreements with each company have not been disclosed, but it is expected that the government has negotiated favorable prices and terms.
AstraZeneca is a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical company that has been developing a vaccine in partnership with the University of Oxford. This vaccine is currently in phase 3 clinical trials, with promising results so far. The agreement with AstraZeneca will see the government purchase 33.8 million doses of the vaccine, with delivery expected to start in early 2021.
Pfizer is an American multinational pharmaceutical company that has been developing a vaccine in partnership with German biotech firm BioNTech. This vaccine has also shown promising results in clinical trials. The agreement with Pfizer will see the government purchase 10 million doses of the vaccine, with delivery also expected to start in early 2021.
Novavax is an American biotech company that has been developing a protein subunit vaccine. This vaccine is currently in phase 3 clinical trials and has shown promising results in early trials. The agreement with Novavax will see the government purchase 51 million doses of the vaccine, with delivery expected in mid-2021.
These agreements are critical in ensuring that Australia has access to multiple vaccines as soon as they become available. It is also important to note that the vaccines are not yet approved for use in Australia, and the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) will need to review the data from clinical trials before giving approval. It is expected that the TGA will expedite the approval process given the urgency of the situation.
In addition to these agreements, the government has also invested in local vaccine development through the University of Queensland and CSL Limited. The government has provided funding to the University of Queensland to develop a vaccine candidate, but this vaccine has since been abandoned due to concerns about false positive HIV test results. CSL Limited, an Australian biotech company, has partnered with the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca to manufacture the vaccine in Australia.
In conclusion, the agreements that the Australian government has signed with AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Novavax are critical in ensuring that Australians have access to COVID-19 vaccines as soon as they become available. While the vaccines are not yet approved for use in Australia, the government and the TGA are working to expedite the approval process. These agreements, along with investments in local vaccine development and manufacturing, are important steps in the fight against COVID-19 in Australia.