November 8, 2021 -- Synthetic biotechnology firm Amyris and immunotherapy company ImmunityBio have partnered to accelerate the commercialization of a COVID-19 RNA vaccine.
ImmunityBio will manufacture the vaccine once human trials are successfully completed in South Africa. Amyris will contribute its RNA technology licensed from the Infectious Disease Research Institute, as well as provide sustainable squalene, an organic compound used to produce the vaccine.
Once human trials are completed successfully, Amyris and ImmunityBio hope to deliver 1 billion doses of the new vaccine in 2022 to address vaccine access in developing countries and other regions of the world.
A definitive agreement is in process and is expected to be executed within the next month pending standard closing conditions.