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UK buys more potential COVID-19 vaccines from J&J and Novavax

Britain will buy potential COVID-19 vaccines from US drugmakers Johnson & Johnson and Novavax Inc, the companies said on Friday (14), bringing the total number of deals by the UK government to six as the race for shots heats up.

Johnson & Johnson said its Janssen Pharmaceutica unit will supply the UK government with its candidate known as Ad26.COV2.S with an initial sale of 30 million doses on a not-for-profit basis for emergency pandemic use.

The advance purchase agreement will also provide an option for an additional purchase of up to a 22 million doses, it said.


In a separate statement, Novavax said the UK would buy 60 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine candidate, NVX-CoV2373, for a phase 3 clinical trial.

With six deals each so far, Britain and the US are leading the global race to strike deals with drugmakers for vaccines as the pandemic continues to rage.

The latest agreements bring the UK's total number of doses secured to 362 million for the population of 66 million.

J&J said it has also agreed to collaborate with the UK government on a global Phase 3 trial to explore the two-dose regimen of its vaccine candidate.

It will run parallel to the Phase 3 trial investigating the single-dose programme.

No vaccine has yet proven to work, but more than 20 candidates are in clinical trials.

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Bangladesh's state-run carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines is currently reviewing additional proposals from both manufacturers.

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Bangladesh orders 25 Boeing aircraft as part of US tariff deal

Highlights
  • Bangladesh orders 25 Boeing wide-body aircraft, first delivery expected in 2029.
  • Biman Bangladesh Airlines evaluating additional offers from Boeing and Airbus.
  • Deal part of broader US trade agreement reducing tariffs from 37 per cent to 20 per cent.


Bangladesh has ordered 25 wide-body aircraft from Boeing as part of a tariff agreement with the United States, a senior commerce ministry official confirmed on Thursday, whilst the country evaluates competing proposals from European manufacturer Airbus.

"We made a commitment and ordered 25 wide-bodies, and we expect to receive the first one in 2029," official Mahbubur Rahman told AFP. "It's part of the tariff deal with the US."

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