German pharmaceutical company CureVac said on Friday that it has started sending data to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) as part of the ongoing review of its vaccine COVID-19.
The company, based in the southern German city of Tübingen, is still conducting clinical trials, but the real-time review process means that the agency can observe the data gradually as it is released. This is expected to reduce the time needed for the regulator to reach a decision on approval.
The CureVac jab used the same mRNA technology as the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine, which is also produced in Germany, and the American-made Modern vaccine.
How long has the CureVac vaccine been in?
Tests of the vaccine in healthy adults are currently taking place in Europe and Latin America. Mass testing began in December and the company expects to have the study results by March or April.
The EMA based its decision to start reviewing the CureVac vaccine on preliminary results from laboratory studies and initial clinical tests.
A statement on the EMA website states that: “These studies suggest that the vaccine triggers the production of antibodies and immune cells that target SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.”
So far, the EU has authorized the use of three vaccines – those from BioNTech-Pfizer, Oxford University-AstraZeneca and Moderna. All were approved based on continuous reviews.
EU presses for more doses of vaccine
The EU has come under strong criticism for the slow implementation of vaccination programs across the bloc. The injection of CureVac is expected to alleviate some of the problems, as the continent sees an increase in infections.
CureVac is also working alongside British company GSK to develop another vaccine that could target several of the variants of COVID-19 with just one injection.
The German company made global headlines in March last year, when then U.S. President Donald Trump tried to ensure exclusive access to his vaccines for the U.S.
The company was quick to reject any idea that it was selling its technology.
ab / dj (Reuters, AFP, AP, dpa)