Coronavirus vaccine may cost $50-$60: FT

Moderna Inc is planning to price its coronavirus vaccine at $50 to $60 per course, at least $11 more than another vaccine from Pfizer Inc and BioNTech, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed sources.

Moderna’s proposed price for a two-dose course sold to governments compares with $39 for two doses under a deal that Pfizer Inc and German partner BioNTech struck with the U.S. government.

Industry analysts said Pfizer and BioNTech’s $2 billion deal to cover 50 million patients, contingent on an approvable product, would likely pressure other manufacturers to set comparable prices.

According to the report, Moderna’s proposed price would apply to the United States and other high-income countries.

A Moderna spokesperson said the company was in discussions with governments about potential supply of the vaccine, called mRNA-1273, but did not provide any details on pricing “given the confidential nature of the discussions and contracts.”

The final price for Moderna’s COVID vaccine has yet to be determined, a person familiar with the discussions told Reuters.

Pfizer, Moderna, and Merck & Co have said they plan to sell their vaccines at a profit, while some drugmakers, including Johnson & Johnson, have announced plans to price their vaccines on a not-for-profit basis.
AstraZeneca Plc agreed to provide the United States 300 million doses of its potential vaccine in exchange for $1.2 billion in upfront funding, which works out to $4 per dose.