German pharmaceutical company CureVac said Friday it had begun submitting data to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) as part of the ongoing review of its COVID-19 vaccine.
The company, based in the southern German city of Tübingen, is still conducting clinical studies, but the real-time review process means the agency can observe the data piecemeal as it is released. It is hoped that this will shorten the time it takes for the regulator to reach a decision on approval.
The CureVac shot used the same mRNA technology as the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine, which is also produced in Germany, and the US-made Moderna vaccine.
How Far is the CureVac Vaccine?
Trials of the vaccine are currently underway in healthy adults in Europe and Latin America. Mass testing began in December, and the company hopes to have results of the investigation by March or April.
The EMA based its decision to initiate the evaluation of the CureVac vaccine on preliminary results from laboratory studies and early clinical studies.
A statement on the EMA website said: “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 rolling reviews.
EU urges more vaccine doses
The EU has been heavily criticized for the slow roll-out of vaccination programs across the board. The CureVac shot is expected to alleviate some of the problems as the continent sees an increase in infections.
CureVac is also working with UK company GSK to develop another vaccine that can target different COVID-19 variants with just one injection.
The German company made global headlines in March last year when the then US President, Donald Trump, attempted to gain exclusive access to its vaccines for the US.
The company quickly rejected all notion that it was selling its technology.
ab / dj (Reuters, AFP, AP, dpa)