Benzinga | Mar 4, 2021 08:37AM EST

Novartis Lends Support To Manufacture CureVac's COVID-19 Shots

* Swiss Pharma giant Novartis AG (NYSE: NVS) has agreed to help CureVac BV (NASDAQ: CVAC) produce its experimental COVID-19 vaccine, known as CVnCoV.

* Novartis plans to manufacture the mRNA molecules that the vaccine is based on and "bulk drug product" for up to 50 million doses by the end of 2021 and up to a further 200 million doses in 2022. Delivery from the manufacturing site in Kundl, Austria, is expected to start in summer 2021.

* The two-dose vaccine is in late-stage testing, and CureVac has said results could come as soon as next month.

* The company has already started rolling submissions with European Medicines Agency for CVnCoV.

* This arrangement with Novartis is the latest addition to an instance of the companies coming together to boost vaccine supply.

* Earlier this week, Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK) lent support for the manufacture of Johnson & Johnson's (NYSE: JNJ) vaccine.

* Last month, CureVac said GlaxoSmithKline Plc (NYSE: GSK) would manufacture up to 100 million doses of the vaccine in 2021. Both companies also collaborated to develop next-gen vaccine candidates targeting virus variants.

* Bayer AG (OTCMKT: BAYRY) has been assisting with the development of CVAC's vaccine.

* Price Action: CVAC shares are up 4.6% at $87.40, while NVS is down 3.8% at $84.26 in premarket trading on the last check Thursday.