AstraZeneca in June chose Emergent to assist make 300 million doses of its possible COVID-19 vaccine vowed to the USA.

AstraZeneca has signed manufacturing deals internationally to meet its goal of earning 2 billion gallons of this vaccine, for example with just two Bill Gates-backed ventures and a $1.2 billion deal with the US authorities.

The company's vaccine, which is co-developed from the University of Oxford, is among the very first to move into mid-stage trials. There are no approved vaccines or treatments for COVID-19, the highly infectious respiratory illness brought on by the novel coronavirus.

The latest contract follows a $87 million deal in June where Emergent signed an agreement to become the growth partner for AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

Activities under the agreement will likely be at Emergent's Baltimore Bayview centre, the company said, which is a designated centre by the US Department of Health and Human Services for rapid manufacturing of large quantities of vaccines and treatments.