British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline Plc will expand production of vaccine efficacy boosters, or adjuvants, to produce 1 billion doses in 2021 for use in shots for COVID-19, the company said Thursday.
The company added it was in talks with governments on backing for the program, which would effectively allow the expansion of the scale of production of future successful vaccines for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
Moderna Inc said Friday it had started dosing patients in a mid-stage study with its experimental coronavirus vaccine and eventually plans to enroll 600 patients for the trial.
There are currently no approved treatments or vaccines to treat COVID-19, and experts predict a safe and effective vaccine could take 12-18 months from the start of development.