The European Medicines Agency (EMA) hopes to be able to approve a vaccine against Covid-19, adapted to the omicron variants, in the autumn. As she explained on Wednesday, “an application is expected for the BA.4/5 modified vaccine developed by Biontech and Pfizer, which will be evaluated for possible rapid approval in the fall”.
BA.4 and BA.5 are currently the dominant subtypes of the ommicron variant of the coronavirus. According to its own statements, the EMA started testing the modified version of the Biontech vaccine on Monday.
Vaccine developed against BA.4 and BA.5
The Mainz-based company and its US partner, the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, announced an effective vaccine at the end of June against the variants BA.4 and BA.5 – which are currently responsible for most infections with the pathogen SARS-CoV-2 – of developing the coronavirus.
According to the EMA, pre-approval is also expected for two other modified Covid vaccines – one from Biontech and another from the manufacturer Moderna – targeting the original variant of the coronavirus and the former omicron variant BA.1. Both companies filed corresponding approval applications for their respective vaccines on July 22.
Biotech vaccine should come in October
On Monday, Biontech announced that it is preparing to launch two modified Omikron vaccines. The company said it could start shipping as early as October, subject to regulatory approvals. Both vaccines would therefore be available just in time to support the booster campaigns in the fall of 2022.
At the end of July, the American company Moderna announced that it was about to complete the development of a vaccine adapted to the omicron variant. The EU commission agreed on Tuesday that vaccine doses would be delivered later so that if a modified vaccine were approved, it could be received immediately.
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.
