Not just AstraZeneca, here are the anti-Covid vaccines the EU aspires to

The latest not-so-reassuring news about the progress of covid vaccine trials by AstraZeneca, the British pharmaceutical giant, closely involves the European Union. In fact, the Commission has signed a contract on August 27 with the company that today suspended the tests after the appearance of a pathology defined as “inexplicable” by the experts in one of the volunteers involved in the experiment. “These are things that usually happen when clinical trials are carried out,” the vice president of the Commission tried to pour water on the fire. Maros Sefcovic. But the Slovakian politician also guaranteed that “the Commission will never compromise security.”

Brussels is comforted by the wide “range” of agreements with companies established by the EU executive in recent months, which can now count on negotiations already concluded with six major players in the pharmaceutical sector globally. Although the supply contract with AstraZeneca is the only one in force, the EU has pre-agreements with Sanofi-GSK, Johnson & Johnson, CureVac, Moderna and, as announced this morning, with BioNTech-Pfizer. The news a few hours ago is in fact that the Commission has concluded the “exploratory talks” with the German company that is collaborating with the American Pfizer for the purchase of a potential vaccine against Covid-19.

The contract with BioNTech-Pfizer, a note from the EU executive reads, “would allow all member states to buy the vaccine, as well as donate it to low- and middle-income countries or redirect it to European countries.” Regarding the number of administrations available, the Commission is expected to have “a contractual framework for the initial purchase of 200 million doses on behalf of all Member States, with the option to purchase up to 100 million additional doses”. , which will be delivered as soon as the safety and efficacy of the Covid-19 vaccine is demonstrated. ”

BioNTech is working on the development of a new vaccine based on messenger RNA (mRNA). MRNA plays a vital role in human biology, transferring the instructions that instruct the cells of the body to produce proteins to prevent or fight disease. But after the clinical details and vaccine development methodologies that could finally differentiate humanity from coronavirus, many begin to wonder what the actual availability of the doses will be and whether they will be available to all citizens.

Giving answers to these questions was Sandra Gallina, Deputy Director of DG Health and Food Safety of the European Commission. In her speech yesterday in the Environment Committee of the European Parliament, the Italian official at the center of the negotiations with the big names in the pharmaceutical sector stressed that “a good vaccine” must not only be effective and safe, but also convenient. La Gallina said that the first vaccinations should begin at the end of this year and that a significant number of vaccines should be available in the first part of 2021. “The doses will be distributed to the member states according to the size of the population,. The EU official finally specified that it will be up to member states to decide who will get the vaccine first.