Only ‘marginal’ benefits found for vaccine from £200m Valneva factory

Then PM Boris Johnson, right, at Valneva factory in 2021

The latest trials of a Covid booster vaccine backed by more than £200 million of public money has found it only offered a marginal increase in protection.

The research on the vaccine made by French pharmaceutical firm Valneva come after we revealed in November the company was carrying out a restructure, shedding 25 jobs at its Livingston factory.

The firm suspended manufacture of its Covid vaccine, developed in Scotland, in August last year after an order for 60 million doses from the European Commission was cut to just 1.25m.

The UK Government cancelled its order for 100m doses in September 2021, despite giving Valneva £214m in non-refundable payments to set up the Scottish facility. UK ministers have repeatedly refused to comment on the grant.

Valneva was also given £12.5m by the Scottish Government’s economic development agency Scottish Enterprise to make the Covid vaccine in at its Livingston site where 200 people are employed.

The firm had drawn down £4.3m when manufacturing of the Covid vaccine was halted, and that cash could now be clawed back.

Scottish Labour Finance spokesperson Daniel Johnson said: “It is not for politicians to judge the outcomes of clinical trials, but questions remain about the use of taxpayers’ money by Valneva.

“The company’s decision to slash its workforce during a cost of living crisis raises serious questions about the public money spent propping up a company that is cutting jobs.”

A statement from Valneva said that while a study found the new vaccine was tolerated well by participants, the additional booster dose gave only a “marginally increased neutralising antibody response.”

The company had previously reported positive booster results in August following a separate study.

The Scottish Government said: “The issuing and any clawback of grant funding is a matter for Scottish Enterprise although ministers expect all companies in receipt of grants from enterprise agencies to adhere to their grant conditions, including those related to job creation.

“Scottish Enterprise is working with Valneva to consider whether recent developments have implications for its grant support. Ministers are monitoring proposed job losses with anyone affected being the priority.”

Scottish Enterprise said: “We are working closely with Valneva to ascertain whether this will have any implications in terms of our grant support.”

The UK Government said it could not comment because of commercial confidentiality.

Valneva said the Scottish Enterprise grant helped support the development of the manufacturing process for its Covid vaccine, the employment and upskilling of hundreds of staff, and towards the building of its plant in Livingston.

It added: “We remain committed to Livingston and our manufacturing site is a key strategic location for the production of our marketed vaccine IXIARO and our single-shot vaccine candidate against chikungunya – currently the most clinically advanced chikungunya vaccine candidate in the world.”