CureVac (vaccine CVnCoV, Tesla, In-Cell-Art, DARPA, Gates Foundation, CEPI, Sanofi Pasteur, vaccine printer, University of Wisconsin)

(July 2, 2020) Tesla teams up with CureVac to make 'RNA microfactories' for COVID-19 shot, Elon Musk says
Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted Thursday that the electric carmaker had signed on with CureVac to make portable molecular RNA printers—
what Musk called "RNA microfactories"— to help produce doses of the German vaccine maker's COVID-19 shot candidate.
Musk said his company was working on the printers as a "side project" and could take on additional partners in the future.
CureVac has previously touted its work on portable "printers" for its mRNA-based vaccines,
which would allow the company to produce shots at scale in farflung locations without the standard logistical concerns.
CureVac's printers are designed to quickly create mRNA vaccine candidates against known pathogens,
plus new and unknown diseases, a category the World Health Organization calls “Disease X.”
If successful, the printers could also be used for CureVac's COVID-19 shot candidate, CVnCoV,
which received German and Belgian regulatory clearance to enter phase 1 human testing in mid-June.
The start of the 168-subject study comes days after the German government invested $337 million
in CureVac to support its efforts to develop and manufacture a vaccine against the coronavirus.

(July 3, 2020) Tesla filed joint patent with CureVac on possibly revolutionary ‘bioreactor for RNA’
A patent application shows that Tesla has been working with CureVac on a possibly revolutionary “bioreactor for RNA” for over a year.
It took many by surprise since it seems like Tesla is making a move in the biotech world,
but we now learn that it has been in the works for a long time — even pre-COVID-19.
The patent application is called “Bioreactor for RNA in vitro Transcription” and it describes an automated system for RNA manufacturing.
It describes a problem with current manufacturing processes for RNA molecules being labor extensive and requiring several different equipments.
The Tesla/CureVac solution solves those problems.

(July 20, 2020) GSK to obtain 10% stake in vaccines maker CureVac for $163m
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has signed an agreement with German company CureVac to research, develop, manufacture and commercialise up to five mRNA-based vaccines
and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against infectious diseases. The terms of the agreement will provide GSK with approximately 10% stake in CureVac
with an equity investment of $163m (£130m). Also, GSK will make an upfront payment of $130m (£104m), along with a one-time reimbursable payment of $32m (£26m)
to reserve production capacity at CureVac’s commercial-scale manufacturing facility being built in Germany.
The collaboration will leverage GSK’s existing mRNA capabilities and CureVac’s mRNA platform,
which is expected to complement the former’s existing vaccines expertise.
Earlier this month, GSK partnered with Canadian biopharmaceutical firm Medicago to develop,
assess and manufacture a plant-based adjuvanted Covid-19 vaccine candidate.

(August 20, 2020) EU and CureVac in talks on 225 million doses of a potential coronavirus vaccine
The European Commission and German biotech firm CureVac said on Thursday they were in advanced talks for the supply of at least 225 million doses
of a potential Covid-19 vaccine to EU states. The EU will now begin negotiating a contract with CureVac,
which could be the company’s first bilateral supply deal, aimed at securing the vaccine for all 27 EU member states
should the shot prove safe and effective. CureVac said it could start large-scale human trials on its vaccine in the last quarter
of this year based on results of its current trials. The Commission did not disclose financial details
but said funding would be provided through an EU emergency fund,
of which around 2 billion euros ($2.37 billion) can be used to finance advance purchase deals,
officials have told Reuters.

(November 12, 2020) CureVac Aims to Overcome Deep-Freeze Challenge With Covid Shot
Data show CureVac’s messenger RNA vaccine remained stable for at least three months
when stored at a standard refrigerator temperature of 5 degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit),
and for up to 24 hours as a ready-to-use shot when stored at room temperature,
the company said Thursday. Some vaccines, like the front-runner from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, must be kept at ultra-cold temperatures

(November 16, 2020) EU Expands Vaccine Options With CureVac Contract
The EU is to sign a contract with German pharmaceutical company CureVac for another potential Covid-19 vaccine,
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Monday. The deal, to be signed Tuesday, brings to five the number of vaccines
the EU will have in its portfolio, with a sixth, from US firm Moderna, on its way, von der Leyen said in a video statement.
The CureVac contract is an option to buy up to 405 million doses if its vaccine is proven to be safe and effective.
Von der Leyen did not disclose the financial terms, in line with the same confidentiality given the other companies making candidate vaccines.

(November 23, 2020) Germany's CureVac Signs Contract for New Vaccine
German pharmaceutical company CureVac says it has signed a contract to produce major quantities of a COVID-19 vaccine
under development in the Netherlands. The Tuebingen company said Monday it had agreed with Munich’s Wacker Chemie AG
on a contract for the production of its COVID-19 vaccine using mRNA technology at Wacker’s site in Amsterdam
in the first half of 2021. It plans to produce 100 million doses of the CureVac vaccine per year at the facility,
and said there is potential for expansion.

(November 29, 2020) Saudi Pharma in Talks With Germany’s CureVac for Covid Shot
Saudi Pharmaceutical Industries and Medical Appliances Corp. signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding
with German biotech company CureVac NV to provide a Covid-19 vaccine in Saudi Arabia.
The MoU includes the possibility of extending the supply and distribution rights
in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman.

(December 9, 2020) Fareva enhancer: CureVac to use CDMO for COVID vaccine fill/finish
Under terms of the deal – financials of which have not been disclosed – contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) Fareva
will provide fill and finish capabilities for CureVac’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate, CVnCoV, from facilities in Val-de-Reuil and Pau, both in France.
Fareva has invested over €80 million ($97 million) in its Val-de-Reuil facility over the past decade,
but Pau is a brand new extension for the CDMO, having just acquired the plant – along with a monoclonal antibody production plant
in Saint-Julien-en-Genevois, France – from French drugmaker Pierre Fabre.

(January 7, 2021) Bayer Joins COVID-19 Vaccine Development in Germany
Bayer announced it had signed a collaboration and services agreement with CureVac N.V. to support the further development,
supply, and key territory operations of CureVac´s COVID-19 mRNA vaccine candidate CVnCoV.
To this end, Bayer stated in a press release issued on January 7, 2021; it will contribute its expertise and established infrastructure
in areas such as clinical operations, regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance, medical information, supply chain performance
as well as support in selected countries.Germany-based CureVac announced in November 2020 that it would ramp up
its European manufacturing network, working with Wacker and Fareva, amongst others.

(February 1, 2021) CureVac, Rentschler Ramp up COVID Vax Production
CureVac N.V. and Rentschler Biopharma SE, a global CDMO for biopharmaceuticals,
initiated the set-up of manufacturing capabilities for CureVac´s COVID-19 vaccine, CVnCoV.
Rentschler Biopharma contributes to the manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredient,
downstream processing and formulation of drug substance for the vaccine.
The companies entered a collaboration in November 2020 with the set-up
of dedicated production lines at Rentschler’s site in Laupheim, Germany.
Optimization of the production process is now taking place to increase mRNA yield.
It is expected to produce more than 100 million doses of the CureVac vaccine per year in Laupheim.
contractpharma.com/content-microsite/covid-19/2021-02-01/curevac-rentschler-ramp-up-covid-vax-production?widget=listSection

(February 3, 2021) GSK, CureVac partnership eyes Covid-19 vaccine against multiple variants
Britain’s GlaxoSmithKline and German biotech firm CureVac struck a 150 million euro ($180 million) deal
to develop next-generation vaccines against Covid-19 that target several variants in one product.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, the partners said they were targeting a possible launch in 2022.
GSK, which holds a stake in CureVac, will also support the production of up to 100 million doses of CureVac’s first generation
Covid-19 vaccine candidate in 2021, they said.
cnbc.com/2021/02/03/gsk-curevac-deal-eyes-covid-19-vaccine-against-multiple-variants.html

(February 5, 2021) CureVac, UK Partner on Vaccines Against SARS-CoV-2 Variants
CureVac N.V. has entered a collaboration with the UK Government to develop and manufacture potential vaccine candidates against SARS-CoV-2 variants.
Any resulting vaccine candidates will be manufactured and distributed in the UK and its overseas and territories, subject to approval.
The R&D collaboration combines CureVac’s resources and expertise in mRNA vaccine development
with the scientific experience of the Vaccines Taskforce and the UK’s network
of experts and capabilities in SARS-CoV-2 vaccine research and development.
CureVac will also transfer its technology to enable the manufacturing of clinical and commercial quantities
of any vaccines that result from the collaboration, as well as manufacturing
of CureVac's existing vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 (CVnCoV), currently in Phase 3 trials.
Subject to regulatory approval, the agreement includes an initial supply of 50 million doses
of variant vaccines to the UK with some production expected to take place in the UK.
contractpharma.com/content-microsite/covid-19/2021-02-05/curevac-uk-partner-on-vaccines-against-sars-cov-2-variants?widget=listSection

(March 4, 2021) Novartis Signs 250 Million-Dose Vaccine Pact With CureVac
Novartis AG agreed to produce CureVac NV’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate
in a deal that will boost the potential supply of the shot by as much as 250 million doses over the course of this year and next.
The Swiss pharmaceutical giant could make as many as 50 million doses this year and 200 million doses in 2022,
the partners said in a statement. Once the final agreement is signed, Novartis plans to start production in the second quarter
and ship the first deliveries to CureVac this summer. Unlike Novartis’s previous agreement with BioNTech SE,
which covered putting vaccines into vials, the CureVac deal is for producing and formulating the messenger RNA necessary to make the shot.
It’s an important boost in capacity for CureVac, which is relying on a network of partners to make up to 300 million doses this year.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-04/novartis-to-make-up-to-50-million-curevac-covid-shots-this-year