The EU Medicines Agency (EMA for short) has started testing a new vaccine against Covid-19. The vaccine, called Skycovion, was developed by the South Korean company SK Bioscience. The EMA, based in Amsterdam, announced that an application for approval had been submitted.
The company has presented data on effectiveness against the coronavirus, as well as safety and quality. The EMA experts are now examining the data and will then decide on a recommendation for conditional marketing. After a positive advice from the EMA, the European Commission still has to agree – but that is considered a formality.
Contains small pieces of spike protein
According to the EMA, the vaccine contains tiny particles of the virus’s spike protein. After vaccination, the body must recognize these proteins as foreign bodies and form antibodies and T cells. When infected with the coronavirus, the immune system has to recognize the spike proteins (red in the image below) and fight the virus.
So far, six vaccines approved in the EU
It is unclear to what extent this vaccine also protects against the ommicron variant of the coronavirus. Six vaccines against the coronavirus are currently approved in the EU. Two of these preparations were also adapted to variants of the virus. However, the EMA experts are still checking the details of these modified preparations. It is still unclear when the decision will be made.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
