AstraZeneca to supply 500,000 more experimental Covid-19 antibody cocktail doses to US

AstraZeneca and US government agencies had initially agreed in October to a supply of 200,000 doses. PHOTO: REUTERS

LONDON (REUTERS) - AstraZeneca said on Tuesday (March 16) it has agreed to supply up to half a million additional doses of its experimental antibody-based Covid-19 combination treatment to the United States for US$205 million (S$276 million).

In October, the Anglo-Swedish drug-maker and US government agencies had initially agreed to a supply of 200,000 doses.

The new agreement takes potential US supplies of the treatment to 700,000 doses and the total value of the deal to US$726 million.

The treatment, AZD7442, is a combination of two monoclonal antibodies and has not been approved for use as yet, AstraZeneca said, adding that the new agreement is contingent on an approval by the US Food and Drug Administration.

The company said it does not expect any changes to its 2021 forecasts because of the deal.

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