Benzinga | Jun 22, 2021 10:57AM EDT

Europe Purchases Additional 150M Doses Of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine

* The European Union has decided to take up an option under a supply contract with Moderna Inc (NASDAQ:MRNA) that allows the bloc to order 150 million additional COVID-19 vaccines.

* This purchase brings the European Commission's confirmed order commitment to 460 million doses.

* The announcement comes a week after CureVac BV's (NASDAQ:CVAC) COVID-19 vaccine was only 47% effective in a late-stage trial, missing the study's primary goal and casting doubt on the potential delivery of doses to the E.U.

* The additional doses will be delivered in 2022.

* The E.U. Commission said the second contract with Moderna had also been amended to allow the purchase of an updated variant booster vaccine candidate.

* Price Action: MRNA shares are up 3.34% at $215.21 during the market session on the last check Tuesday.