Denmark cancels tender for domestic Covid-19 vaccine production to support Danish pharmaceutical company manufacturing shots

Denmark’s government has canceled its initial plans for a tender that would allow Covid-19 vaccines to be produced domestically, instead favoring supporting a shot made by company Bavarian Nordic, which is facing phase II trials.

The Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs said it was dropping its plans for a national vaccine production tender on Monday via an email which read: “The assessment is that the best way to support future vaccine production in Denmark is by supporting the development of Bavarian Nordic's vaccine candidate.” 

The company is a Danish pharmaceutical firm that manufactures its own jabs for other illnesses and treatments. 

Due to its support of Bavarian Nordic, the government stated that “there are currently no plans for a tender.” 

Copenhagen had originally said it wanted mRNA vaccines to be produced in the country. However, the two companies manufacturing such jabs, Pfizer and Moderna, weren’t interested in participating. 

The Danish government last month pledged 800 million kroner ($125 million) in financial support to Bavarian Nordic to fund its research and development of its capsid virus-like participle, which is facing phase II clinical trials. Repayment of state funding is conditional based on the success of the vaccine once it is authorized.

Denmark recently announced it will stop categorizing Covid-19 as a “socially critical disease,” as the Nordic nation believes it has controlled the domestic coronavirus situation enough to ditch curbs later in September.

According to the latest figures from the Danish Health Authority, almost 86% of the population has received at least one Covid-19 vaccine, while close to 83% are fully inoculated. 

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