Oxford Biomedica extends deal with AstraZeneca to make Covid vaccines beyond 2022
Oxford Biomedica have inked a new three-year agreement to make AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine beyond 2022.
While no volumes have been confirmed, the deal will mean AstraZeneca will have access to Oxford Biomedica’s Oxbox manufacturing facility to make vaccines when needed beyond this year.
Oxford Biomedica have made more than 100 million doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine since their partnership started in September 2020.
Roch Doliveux, chair & Interim chief exec at the Cell and gene therapy firm Oxford Biomedica, said he was “delighted” that the close partnership with AstraZeneca has been extended.
“While contributing to the efforts to fight the pandemic, this has also demonstrated Oxford Biomedica’s ability to expand the scope of our innovative process development services and deliver high-performing manufacturing solutions beyond lentiviral vectors”, he said.
“We look forward to continuing to work closely with AstraZeneca and execute on our strategy to become a global leader across all viral vectors, enabling Cell and Gene Therapy companies to deliver their life-changing therapies to patients.”
Oxford Biomedica is expected to record about £30m in revenue from the original contract in the current year.
Though shares were up 2.1 per cent at 463.50p in London early Friday, RBC analysts said in a note on the partnership that it “had expected a bigger deal”.
“While it is positive that AZ wanted a longer-term relationship with OXB, and that uncertainty is now diminished, we had expected a bigger deal,” they wrote.