Chemicals giant Bayer, meanwhile, announced that from 2022 it would produce a coronavirus vaccine that fellow German pharmaceuticals company CureVac is developing.
The deal echoes that of fellow German vaccine developer BioNTech with US giant Pfizer, whose jab became the first to be approved in the European Union.
The US drugmaker will also be eligible to receive up to $610 million upon achievement of certain milestones, as well as tiered royalties up to low double-digit percentage of net sales.