Clover Biopharmaceuticals and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) have expanded their existing partnership to further develop the company’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate, SCB-2019 (CpG 1018/Alum). The vaccine contains the SCB-2019 antigen along with Dynavax’s CpG 1018 adjuvant and aluminium hydroxide. As per the deal, CEPI will provide additional funds of $36.9m to Clover. This takes the funding from CEPI for the vaccine to a total of up to $397.4m.

The Italian health ministry is set to procure 50,000 courses each of molnupiravir and Paxlovid, the Covid-19 antiviral pills of Merck and Pfizer, respectively. The development was declared through a mandate from the country’s Covid-19 Special Commissioner, Reuters reported. The process to sign contracts with the two companies will be initiated soon. Several countries have rushed to acquire doses of the oral Covid-19 drugs following their favourable trial results.

Health Canada is set to grant authorisation for the use of Pfizer and BioNTech‘s Covid-19 vaccine, Comirnaty, for use in children aged five to 11 years, Reuters reported. In a press statement, the Government of Canada said its officials will host a technical briefing for the media on November 19 to give an update on authorisation for the shot. Last month, Canada entered an agreement with the company to purchase 2.9 million doses of the paediatric vaccine, to be supplied on obtaining approval, CityNews reported.