Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline reach unprecedented partnership to develop coronavirus vaccine

The European pharmaceutical giants, GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi have entered on Tuesday an unprecedented partnership to jointly develop a coronavirus vaccine by the end of next year.

The two partners will be combining their resources to create a vaccine and aim to produce a batch within the next 20 months.

They plan to start clinical trials in the second half of 2020 and make it available by the second half of 2021.

Talking to CNBC’s Jim Cramer show on Tuesday, Emma Walmsley, chief executive of GlaxoSmithKline described her company’s newly announced partnership with industry peer Sanofi as an “unprecedented collaboration” between competitors.

“If we’re successful … we’re hoping to get to hundreds of millions of doses by the end of next year,” Walmsley said.

“But, a lot of work to do, and we’re sure the world will need more than one vaccine, considering the state of demand.”

“As the world faces this unprecedented global health crisis, it is clear that no one company can go it alone,” Sanofi chief executive Paul Hudson said in an announcement.

“That is why Sanofi is continuing to complement its expertise and resources with our peers, such as GSK, with the goal to create and supply sufficient quantities of vaccines that will help stop this virus.”