Pfizer, BioNTech COVID Vaccine Wins European Backing

December 22, 2020by Naomi Kresge and Suzi Ring, Bloomberg News (TNS)
Pfizer, BioNTech COVID Vaccine Wins European Backing

Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE’s COVID-19 vaccine won the backing of the European medicines regulator, clearing the way for inoculations to start before the end of the year as the continent struggles with rising death rates and tighter lockdowns.

The endorsement of the vaccine, Comirnaty, was announced in a news briefing by the European Medicines Agency on Monday. The final step in approval is a sign-off from the European Commission, expected later today.

“It is a significant step forward in our fight against this pandemic,” Emer Cooke, executive director of the agency, said in the meeting. “This is really a historic scientific achievement.”

EMA officials said there’s no evidence to suggest the vaccine won’t work against the new variant of the coronavirus that emerged in southeast England, leading to an emergency lockdown in London and causing countries including Canada, France and Germany to halt flights and suspend rail links.

European Union leaders pushed the regulator to speed up its review amid complaints that residents across the continent were still waiting to get a vaccine — pioneered in Germany — that is already being used in the U.K. and U.S. The goal is to start a European immunization campaign on Dec. 27, commission President Ursula von der Leyen said last week.

Monday’s recommendation puts the EU in position to meet that timeline. Von der Leyen said in a tweet that she expects the commission to act swiftly, with a decision by tonight.

The trials showed the vaccine was effective in preventing Covid-19 in people from 16 years of age, the agency said in a statement.

Just as Europe prepares to roll out the first vaccine, countries are suspending travel links to the U.K. amid an effort to contain a variant of the coronavirus that officials say is spreading quickly across London and southeast England.

Unlike the U.S. and U.K., which conducted emergency authorizations, the EMA reviewed the vaccine for a conditional marketing authorization. Such a decision requires more evidence, the EU commission’s directorate-general for health said last week. The EMA committee is also reviewing a similar vaccine from Moderna Inc., with a key meeting set for Jan. 6.

___

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

A+
a-
  • BioNTech
  • coronavirus vaccine
  • COVID vaccine
  • Pfizer
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Health

    Biden Announcing New Rule to Protect Consumers Who Purchase Short-Term Health Insurance Plans

    President Joe Biden on Thursday announced new steps to protect consumers who buy short-term health insurance plans that critics say amount to junk. A... Read More

    President Joe Biden on Thursday announced new steps to protect consumers who buy short-term health insurance plans that critics say amount to junk. A new rule finalized by the Democratic president's administration will limit these plans to just three months. And the plans can only be renewed for a maximum... Read More

    March 27, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    One-Time Treatment Could Revitalize Immune Systems in the Elderly

    PALO ALTO, Calif. — A new study suggests that a one-time treatment that modulates the composition of a type of... Read More

    PALO ALTO, Calif. — A new study suggests that a one-time treatment that modulates the composition of a type of immune cell could potentially revitalize the immune systems of the elderly, helping their bodies better react to viral and bacterial threats. The research was carried out... Read More

    March 27, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    Insurers to Expand Access to ‘Navigation Services’ for Cancer Patients

    WASHINGTON — Seven of the nation’s largest health insurance companies are expanding access to so-called “navigation services” to help patients... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Seven of the nation’s largest health insurance companies are expanding access to so-called “navigation services” to help patients and their families navigate the myriad challenges that might arise during treatment for cancer and other serious illnesses. The insurers involved are Aetna; Blue Cross Blue... Read More

    Five Takeaways From the Abortion Pill Case Before US Supreme Court

    WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Supreme Court justices on Tuesday did not appear ready to limit access to the abortion pill mifepristone,... Read More

    WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Supreme Court justices on Tuesday did not appear ready to limit access to the abortion pill mifepristone, in a case that could have far-reaching implications for millions of American women and for scores of drugs regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. It's... Read More

    Biden and Harris Argue Democrats Will Preserve Health Care and Republicans Would Take It Away

    RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday promoted their health care agenda in... Read More

    RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday promoted their health care agenda in the battleground state of North Carolina, arguing that Democrats like themselves would preserve access to care while Republicans would reverse gains made over the past decade... Read More

    March 26, 2024
    by Tom Ramstack
    Supreme Court Skeptical of Ban on Abortion Pill Mifepristone

    WASHINGTON — A hearing Tuesday before the Supreme Court indicated a majority of the justices want to maintain women’s access... Read More

    WASHINGTON — A hearing Tuesday before the Supreme Court indicated a majority of the justices want to maintain women’s access to the abortion pill mifepristone despite objections from anti-abortion activists. The doctors and organizations who sued argued the Food and Drug Administration was wrong in granting... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top