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HEADQUARTERS: Modern Therapeutics is based in Massachusetts, USA The vaccine they are developing is now the third to be continuously reviewed for approval in the EU system. Photo: Brian Snyder, Reuters.
The European Medicines Agency is now taking a third corona vaccine for ongoing evaluation. The vaccine company itself reports that the vaccine is 94.5 percent effective.
Moderna Biotech Spain is developing the vaccine, which is now being reviewed for the so-called “continuous review”. It is the EMA (European Medicines Agency) itself that reports the news.
– We have begun to evaluate the first data we have on the vaccine, which comes from laboratory studies, the company writes.
Moderna, which develops the vaccine that is currently being evaluated in the EU system, reports shortly after the news from the EU that the vaccine is 94.5% effective.
Preliminary results are based on 95 cases of infection, of which 90 belonged to the test group that received placebo, while five cases belonged to the group that received the vaccine.
Since before, it is the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine and the Oxford and AstraZeneca vaccine that have come so far that they are under continuous evaluation for approval in the EU system. This means that the EMA analyzes the results of experiments that are carried out continuously.
The new vaccine now being considered is one of six that Norway can access through the EU alliance if it ends up being approved.
Here you see them all. Click on each vaccine to read more about it:
– Very positive
– This vaccine is in principle very similar to the BioNTech and Pfizer vaccine because it is an mRNA vaccine. There are some small differences, but it is very similar, says medical director Steinar Madsen of the Norwegian Medicines Agency to VG.
The preliminary result reported by the company in the experimental group of 30,000 people will now be evaluated by EMA.
– Now the pharmaceutical authorities in Europe will evaluate all the data and see if we agree with what the companies say. In any case, it is beneficial to have several vaccines, because they can have different properties. Plus, you can get more manufacturers, and therefore more vaccine doses, Madsen says.
He notes that the vaccine appears to have few side effects that are short-lived and not serious.
GOOD NEWS: Steinar Madsen, Medical Director of the Norwegian Medicines Agency. Photo: Kyrre Lien
– As it is, is this vaccine now better than Pfizer / AstraZeneca?
– If you look at exactly the degree of protection, it comes out a little better, but there are small differences. The good news is that this type of vaccine appears to work, Madsen says, and he refers to this type of mRNA vaccine, which is also the Pfizer vaccine.
The concept of mRNA vaccines is that the body’s immune system activates and stimulates itself to attack the virus and prevent disease.
– It is very positive that now there are more vaccines that have come so far in development. Over time you will see what are the advantages and disadvantages of each of them. They must have a high degree of protection, have no unacceptable side effects, and it depends on the duration of protection, he says.
Tested on a large scale
The Moderna vaccine began Phase 3 in the United States on Monday, July 27, with tests on up to 30,000 volunteers. Half receive a placebo. Moderna has estimated that the vaccine should be stored at minus 20 degrees, but that it can withstand a few days at refrigerator temperature. Each person should have two doses.
Read about Ian, who participates in the Moderna test
The EU is negotiating a purchase agreement for 80 million doses for all EU countries + Norway, if the vaccine is safe and effective against covid-19.
This is also one of the vaccines that Norway can access through the global COVAX alliance. The United States has invested heavily in this through Operation Warp Speed, with orders for 100 million doses.
The Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine candidate has shown a preliminary degree of protection of 90 percent against the virus. Here we explain more about it:
