ROME, June 13, 2020, SPA -- AstraZeneca Plc has signed a contract with European governments to supply the region with its potential vaccine against the coronavirus, the British drug maker's latest deal to pledge its drug to help combat the pandemic, according to Reuters. The contract is for up to 400 million doses of the vaccine, developed by the University of Oxford, the company said on Saturday, adding that it was looking to expand manufacturing of the vaccine, which it said it would provide for no profit during the pandemic. Deliveries will start by the end of 2020. The deal is the first contract signed by Europe's Inclusive Vaccines Alliance (IVA), a group formed by France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands to secure vaccine doses for all member states as soon as possible. The British Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved the start of Phase III trials of the vaccine after studies showed sufficient efficacy and safety, Soriot said. At a meeting of EU Health Ministers on Friday, IVA agreed to merge its activities with those of the EU Commission, Germany's Health Ministry said. --SPA 21:00 LOCAL TIME 18:00 GMT 0011 www.spa.gov.sa/w1349325