GSK Plans to Produce 1 Billion Doses of Vaccine Adjuvant

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) said it plans to manufacture 1 billion doses of its vaccine adjuvant next year to support multiple COVID-19 vaccine candidates.

The British drugmaker said it will manufacture the adjuvant for use in COVID-19 vaccines at sites in the U.S., UK, Canada and Europe. It will prioritize making it available to its partners developing vaccine candidates that are suitable for use with an adjuvant.

GSK used the adjuvant in its H1N1 flu vaccine Pandemrix. That vaccine was later tied to cases of the sleep disorder narcolepsy and was withdrawn in the European Union in 2016. It was never licensed for use in the U.S.

Roger Conner, president of GSK Global Vaccines, said the company believes that its adjuvant can “improve the efficacy and scale-up of multiple COVID-19 vaccines.”  The company has formed several vaccine collaborations to date and is now in discussions with other potential partners.

GSK said it does not expect to profit from sales of its products for COVID-19 vaccines and plans to donate any potential profits to support coronavirus-related research and long-term pandemic preparedness. — Jordan Williams