VIR-7831 Supply Agreement for Pandemic Purposes

CPV: Pharmaceutical products

Procedure method

Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition

Legal basis

CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)

Procurement category

Goods

Notice status

Awarded without competition

Procurement threshold

Unspecified in notice

Regulatory regime

Standard

Commercial structure

Stand-alone contract (no framework)

Competition type

Direct award (no call for competition)

GPA / WTO covered

Yes (GPA)

Recurring procurement

Unspecified in notice

First published

13 Sept 2021, 11:00 BST

Last source update

13 Sept 2021, 11:00 BST

Authority reference

C45847

FTS notice number

2021/S 000-022621

Classification (CPV)

Pharmaceutical products

Delivery area

UK

Official registry OCID

ocds-h6vhtk-02dfcc Find a Tender

Why no open competition

Extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable for the contracting authority/entity and in accordance with the strict conditions stated in the directive

Published justification

This good was procured under Regulation 32(2)(c) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, for the following reasons:1. Strictly NecessaryScientific data has recently emerged which now shows how SARS-VoV-2 mutates such that it may make existing vaccine and antibody treatments ineffective. This mAb is one of only a handful of COVID-19 suitable ‘neutralising’ mAbs under development which can withstand the current Variant of Concern mutations. It is also the only one which has the potential to be MHRA approved for non-hospitalised patients in time for Autumn/Winter 2022. This mAb is therefore critical for the protection of the immunocompromised cohort of the UK population..2. Extreme UrgencyThe potential impact on public health if this contract award is not made is significant and therefore DHSC has an urgent requirement for mAb therapies to be available for Q3 and Q4 2021. The UK is seeing daily case numbers increasing rapidly and new virus mutations spreading globally, despite ongoing international travel restrictions. The UK must act on the most up to date data it has access to, which indicates that there is a severe threat to public health for the immunocompromised cohort of the UK population which must be addressed. 3. UnforeseeableThere are many aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, since its original outbreak, which have been entirely unforeseeable and which have resulted in nations across the world struggling to respond. DHSC is acting on the newest information it has available to tailor its COVID-19 response accordingly.4. The event was not caused by DHSCThe events leading to the requirements for neutralising mAb treatment are not attributable to any action by DHSC. Rather the requirement is being driven by the mutation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the consequential evolution of a global pandemic.5. Minimum procurement timescalesTime is of the essence in relation to the need to secure the mAb supply. Wave-3 is underway and wave-4 is predicted to have begun by Q4 of 2021. In light of that and the fact that this mAb is yet to obtain final MHRA approval to make it lawful for use by DHSC, it will not be possible to comply with the minimum timescales of a standard open, restricted or competitive negotiated procedure procurement exercise.

Publisher note: Information on contract value is being withheld due to commercial sensitivity under Regulation 50(6)(b) and (c) as the publication of the price may enable competitors to calculate cost per dose. This will (i) commercially prejudice the supplier in its ongoing negotiations with other national governments; (ii) commercially prejudice the contracting authority in its ongoing negotiations with other vendors and (iii) impact fair competition between vendors

• GlaxoSmithKline UK LimitedAwarded supplier04310159 GSK House, 980 Great West Road, Middlesex, Brentford, UK, TW8 9GS

No document links were published on the notice.