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The European Medicines Agency EMA is examining the approval of another corona vaccine: A “rapid test procedure” was started yesterday for the Russian vaccine “Sputnik V”. The decision is based on the results of laboratory tests and clinical studies in adults, as announced by the EMA in Amsterdam. According to studies, Sputnik V stimulates the formation of antibodies against the virus and could help protect against Covid-19. However, it is not yet possible to foresee when it will be approved in the European Union.
EMA experts will evaluate the efficacy of the vaccine through a rapid and ongoing review process. Test results are already verified, even if not all results are available and no approval request has been submitted. The Russian vaccine is already approved in 42 countries with a total population of around 1.1 billion people. Some EU countries have already ordered the vaccine and want to use it without EU approval, including Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
91.6 percent effective
Russia’s state direct investment fund RDIF, which is involved in financing the development of Sputnik, welcomed the start of the EMA process and announced that, if approved, it will provide the vaccine to 50 million people in the European Union. .
It could start in June, RDIF president Kirill Dmitriev said. According to Russia, Sputnik V is 91.6 percent effective.
The “Sputnik V” vaccine could “make an important contribution to saving millions of lives across Europe,” Dmitriev said. Therefore, Russia cannot wait for the EMA’s decision. “The vaccine association must take precedence over policy, and cooperation with the European Medicines Agency is seen as an excellent example confirming that joining forces can only help defeat the pandemic,” Dmitryev said.
So far, three corona vaccines have been approved in the EU. They come from the manufacturers Pfizer / Biontech, Moderna and AstraZeneca. The EMA has been testing the vaccine from US manufacturer Johnson & Johnson since mid-February. The agency is expected to recommend approval of this vaccine on March 11. The great advantage of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is that it offers complete protection after just one injection.
Then the EU Commission makes the final decision on approval, but this is only a matter of form.
