Moderna prices COVID-19 vaccine at $32-$37 per dose for smaller volume deals

Moderna Inc said on Wednesday smaller volume agreements for its experimental coronavirus vaccine have been priced in the range of $32 to $37 per dose, higher than the price set by the U.S. deal for Pfizer Inc's vaccine candidate.

As the race to develop COVID-19 vaccines reach a decisive stage, with several candidates being tested in pivotal late-stage studies, pricing has come under increasing scrutiny.

"We will be responsible on price well below (its) value during the pandemic," Chief Executive Officer Stéphane Bancel said on a conference call, adding that larger volume agreements for its vaccine will be priced lower.

Last month, the U.S. government struck a deal for an experiment vaccine being developed by Pfizer and partner BioNTech SE that secures enough vaccine to inoculate 50 million Americans for about $40 a person. Moderna's two-dose vaccine regimen would cost between $64 and $74 per person.

Moderna, which has no drugs on the market, has received nearly $1 billion from the U.S. government under a plan to speed up vaccine development. It has not struck a supply agreement with the United States.