Moderna to charge Rs 1855-Rs 2755 for COVID-19 vaccine: CEO

Moderna CEO said that his company will charge governments between Rs 1855 (USD 25) and Rs 2755 (USD 37) per dose of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

The Chief Executive of Moderna, Stephane Bancel, on Saturday said that his company will charge governments between Rs 1855 (USD 25) and Rs 2755 (USD 37) per dose of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

Talking to German weekly Welt am Sonntag (WamS), Barcel said that the price of the coronavirus vaccine will depend on the amount of doses ordered by the governments.

"Our vaccine therefore costs about the same as a flu shot, which is between $10 and $50," he was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Earlier, a senior EU official who is involved in the talks with the Moderna to procure vaccine for the deadly viral disease said the European Commission wanted to seal a deal with Moderna in order to procure millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccine for a price below $25 per dose.

"Nothing is signed yet, but we`re close to a deal with the EU Commission. We want to deliver to Europe and are in constructive talks," Bancel told WamS, adding that a contract would be signed soon.

According to Moderna, its coronavirus vaccine is 94.5% effective in preventing COVID-19. The claim made by the US-based biotechnology firm us based on interim data from a late-stage clinical trial. Few days before Moderna another American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer had claimed that its coronavirus vaccine is also around 95% effective.

It is learnt that the EU and Moderna has been in talks for the latter's COVID-19 vaccine since July.