British drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline has teamed up with a Chinese peer on a promising new coronavirus vaccine the two hope can rapidly be mass produced.
GSK has provided its so-called adjuvant technology, which helps increase a patient's immune reaction against a virus.
It can therefore reduce the amount of the active ingredient needed in each vaccine and make stocks last longer.
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"The use of an adjuvant is of particular importance in a pandemic situation since it may reduce the amount of vaccine protein required per dose," said Thomas Breuer, GSK Vaccines' chief medical officer.
British distribution company Bunzl became one of only two companies on the FTSE 100 whose shares rose on Monday as the business announced expectation-beating results.
Pre-tax profit rose 6.7% to £454.3 million in 2019, on revenue of £9.3 billion, the company said.
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Chief executive Frank van Zanten said the year was "resilient" for Bunzl.
More acquisitions are likely as the company has a "promising" pipeline and there are several ongoing discussions, Mr van Zanten said.
Daily Mirror and Daily Express publisher Reach has reported a decrease in annual revenues, as the newspaper owner announced ambitious plans to drive growth online.
The publisher said it plans to increase its number of registered online users sevenfold by the end of 2022.
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Reach saw revenue for the year to December 29 slide by 3% to £702.5 million, in the company's first full year since acquiring the Daily Express and Daily Star in 2018.
The company swung back into the black, recording a £120.9 million pre-tax profit in 2019 as it bounced back from a £119 million loss in the previous year.
The company, which also owns a raft of regional titles, was buoyed by a rise in like-for-like digital revenue, which increased by 13.2% during the year.
Reach also said profits were strengthened by cost savings, including £12 million from "structural cost savings" during the period.
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