grant to German officials , the Trump administration has tried to buy the exclusive rights to a possible SARS - CoV-2 vaccine that ’s in development by biopharmaceutical fellowship CureVac . The offer allegedly come after now - former CEO Daniel Menichella survive to a meeting at the White House with Trump , Mike Pence , and other representatives of pharmaceutical companies .
" We are very confident that we will be capable to develop a potent vaccinum candidate within a few months , ” Menichella tell in apress statementafter the event , noting the companionship plans to start clinical trials in other summertime . Last workweek , Menichella was replaced by Ingmar Hoerr , one of the society founder .
The news program of the offering was first report by German newspaperDie Welt am Sonntag . It noted an offer of rough $ 1 billion for the likely vaccine , quoting an unnamed German regime informant who enjoin that Mr Trump wanted the vaccine exclusively for the United States .
A dissimilar government seed contacted byThe New York Timessaid it was unclear whether it was for exclusive use or for the research and product to be on US ground . Other officials have said the reports are " grandiloquent " . A US regime root confirmed to theAFPthe governance ’s investments in many pharmaceutical party but traverse any interest in an exclusivity peck for the US alone .
“ The US government has speak with many ( more than 25 ) companies that claim they can assist with a vaccine . Most of these companies already received seed funding from US investor , ” the official toldAFPon Sunday nighttime . “ We will continue to talk to any company that claims to be able-bodied to assist . And any answer found would be portion out with the world . ”
CureVac took toTwitterto entirely traverse these allegations : “ To make it clear again on coronavirus : CureVac has not received from the US government or related entity an offer before , during and since the Task Force encounter in the White House on March 2 . CureVac rejects all allegations from press . ”
[ H / T : Die Welt am Sonntag , The New York Times , AFP ]