Moderna will charge governments between $25 and $37 per coronavirus vaccine dose, depending on how much is ordered, according to CEO Stephane Bancel.
Bancel told the German weekly newspaper Welt am Sonntag that the company hasn’t signed any contracts regarding the vaccine but are close to reaching a deal with the European Union Commission, according to Reuters.
“Our vaccine therefore costs about the same as a flu shot, which is between $10 and $50,” Bancel is quoted as saying to the paper, adding that it would be a “matter of days” before a contract could be reached with the EU.
Last week, Moderna announced it had a vaccine candidate found to be nearly 95% effective in preventing the coronavirus, according to an early analysis from an independent board.
The company announced its revelations shortly before news that Pfizer and BioNTech had a candidate with a similar success rate. Pfizer and BioNTech applied for emergency use authorization for their COVID-19 vaccine from the Food and Drug Administration on Friday.
An EU official involved in discussions about striking a deal with Moderna said the commission wants to reach a deal with the company for a supply worth millions of doses at a price below $25 per dose. Officials have been working to reach a deal with Moderna since July.
Worldwide, the coronavirus pandemic has infected over 55 million people and killed more than 1.3 million people. The United States leads the world with the most cases in one country, recently reaching more than 12 million.
