Pfizer said it struck a deal with the Trump administration to provide 100 million more doses to the United States next year, The Associated Press reported on Tuesday.
The pharmaceutical giant agreed to sell the US an additional 70 million doses by June 30 and another 30 million by the end of July in exchange for the Trump administration invoking the Defense Production Act to improve the company’s manufacturing capabilities.
The government will pay $1.95 billion for the additional doses, the same number it agreed to pay for the first 100 million doses it bought.
"Securing more doses from Pfizer and BioNTech for delivery in the second quarter of 2021 further expands our supply of doses across the Operation Warp Speed portfolio," HHS Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement. "This new federal purchase can give Americans even more confidence that we will have enough supply to vaccinate every American who wants it by June 2021."
US can add 400M more doses:
The deal is a big one after the US balked at buying 100 million additional doses after purchasing the first 100 million. Pfizer said it had committed next spring’s doses to other countries but the US moved to invoke a Civil War-era law to improve its manufacturing capacity.
The deal will include the option for the US to buy 400 million more doses of the two-dose vaccine, which is being rolled out alongside a similar vaccine from Moderna.
Moderna is supplying 200 million doses for $3.2 billion.
The two companies’ commitments would be enough to vaccinate 200 million Americans.
New illness treatment coming:
HHS also agreed to a deal to pay Merck $356 million to fast-track the production of its MK-7110 treatment, which has shown effectiveness in reducing the effects of severe COVID-19 illness.
The deal will require the company to deliver up to 100,000 doses by June 30 if the Food and Drug Administration approves its use.
