CSL manufacturing and supply plans for COVID-19 vaccines

Australian biotech CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) today revealed it has signed a heads of agreement (HoA) with the Australian government for the supply of 51 million doses of the University of Queensland’s (UQ) COVID-19 vaccine candidate (V451), and a separate HoA with UK-based AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) to manufacture the Oxford University candidate (AZD1222), should clinical trials of both prove successful.

With regard to the UQ-CSL V451 candidate, the total number of vaccines ordered by the government is based on a two dose per person regime. Upon completion of successful clinical trials, CSL expects the first tranche of doses to be available by mid-2021.

CSL chief executive and managing director Paul Perreault said: “The social and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought a high level of urgency to the task of developing a vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and to manufacture a successful vaccine at high quality and in sufficient quantities.”