Bad news for Valneva.
The Franco-Austrian laboratory announced on Monday that it had "received a notice of termination" from the British government concerning "the supply agreement" of its candidate vaccine against Covid-19, in a press release.
“The contract includes a clause allowing the UK government to terminate it.
He further claims that Valneva failed to meet its obligations, which Valneva vigorously contests, ”indicates, without further details, the laboratory to which the United Kingdom had ordered 100 million doses for 2021-2022.
Read alsoCovid-19: Valneva, or how France let "its" vaccine slip away ...
Valneva uses a vaccine with deactivated virus, a technology more traditional than the RNA, and which is used in particular for the vaccines against the flu each year.
He had submitted his request for authorization to the British health authorities in August.
The laboratory had indicated at the end of August that on the basis of the phase I and II trials, it hoped "to have a vaccine which is effective in a manner greater than 80%".
“We will have to demonstrate this in the phase III trial,” said CEO Franck Grimaud.
Adapt to variants
“Valneva has worked tirelessly, and invested to the maximum of its abilities, in its collaboration with the 'British government,' in particular by committing significant resources and by showing a very strong commitment in order to respond to [its] demands on vaccines adapted to variants ”, highlights the laboratory on Monday.
He indicates that he "continues to be fully engaged in the development" of his vaccine candidate, VLA2001, and that he "will increase his efforts with other potential customers to ensure that his inactivated vaccine can be used in the fight against the pandemic ”.
Valneva Receives Notice of Termination of COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Agreement by UK Government https://t.co/fjisbLzcb8 pic.twitter.com/gJfvEX3iPH
- Valneva (@valnevaSE) September 13, 2021
Valneva recalls that the results of phase III trials - intended to prove the real effectiveness of a treatment before a possible marketing - "are expected at the beginning of the fourth quarter". These results “will be part of the progressive submission of the VLA2001 conditional authorization application dossier to the UK health agency. Subject to phase III results and approval from the UK health agency, "Valneva believes that an initial marketing authorization for VLA2001 could be obtained by the end of 2021".
