Drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline and German biotech firm CureVac have struck a €150m (£130m) deal to develop next-generation COVID-19 vaccines that target several variants of the virus in one product.
The companies said in a joint statement that they were targeting a launch of the vaccine in 2022.
It comes as public health experts around the world raise concerns about whether mutations in the virus may make existing vaccines less effective.
GSK chief executive Dame Emma Walmsley said next generation COVID-19 drugs would be crucial
UK-based GSK, which holds a stake in CureVac, will also help the company manufacture up to 100 million doses of its first generation vaccine – currently in clinical trials – this year.
It marks a fresh attempt by GSK to take a key role in the global fight against the pandemic after development delays hampered a COVID-19 collaboration with Sanofi.
In Wednesday’s statement, GSK and CureVac said the aim of the collaboration would be to offer “broader protection” against a variety of different variants of the virus and to enable a quick response to those that may emerge in the future.
“The increase in emerging variants with the potential to reduce the efficacy of first generation COVID-19 vaccines requires acceleration of efforts to develop vaccines against new variants to keep one step ahead of the pandemic,” they said.
“These next generation COVID-19 vaccines may either be used to protect people who have not been vaccinated before, or to serve as boosters in the event that COVID-19 immunity gained from an initial vaccination reduces over time.”
They said it could mean the “potential for a multi-valent approach to address multiple emerging variants in one vaccine”.
GSK chief executive Dame Emma Walmsley said: “We believe that next generation vaccines will be crucial in the continued fight against COVID-19.
“This new collaboration builds on our existing relationship with CureVac and means that together, we will combine our scientific expertise… to advance and accelerate the development of new COVID-19 vaccine candidates.”