Search for corona vaccine: Biontech and Pfizer may conduct trials in Germany

The Mainz company Biontech has overcome another hurdle in the race for the corona vaccine. The candidate vaccine developed jointly with the US pharmaceutical company Pfizer can be tested in Germany.

When searching for a vaccine, Mainz-based company Biontech and its US partner Pfizer report a success: They are also allowed to test their potential drug in Germany. The Paul Ehrlich Institute approved a clinical study, Biontech said. In addition to the Tübingen-based company Curevac, the Mainz-based company is the second German company to be allowed to enter the important clinical trial phase in Germany in the race for a corona vaccine.

For Biontech and Pfizer, the study center in Germany is a component of a global clinical study with 30,000 people. Subjects receive the vaccine or a placebo. In addition to the effects and side effects, the question of how the possible vaccine should be dosed is also important.

Accelerate the approval process

If the clinical study confirms the effectiveness of the vaccine, a study center in Germany could speed up the approval process in this country. Biontech and Pfizer plan to apply for approval in October. If authorities agree, the two companies say they could produce 100 million doses of vaccine before the end of the year.