The EU and AstraZeneca have reached an agreement which will secure the delivery of the remaining COVID-19 vaccine doses to Member States under the terms of the Advance Purchase Agreement concluded on 27 August 2020 with AstraZeneca. The agreement will also end the pending litigation before the Brussels Court. Commissioner for Health and Food Safety […]
Commission mobilises €123 million for research and innovation to combat the threat of variants
The Commission is mobilising €123 million from Horizon Europe, the new EU research and innovation programme, for urgent research into coronavirus variants. This first emergency funding under Horizon Europe adds to a range of EU-funded research and innovation actions to fight the coronavirus and contributes to the Commission’s overall action to prevent, mitigate and respond to […]
Coronavirus variants: current status and impact on EU vaccination
Experts from the EMA, the European Centre for Disease Control and the WHO discussed coronavirus strains and vaccine efficacy with MEPs on 15 March. The Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee held a discussion on 15 March on Covid-19 variants and vaccine effectiveness with representatives from the European Medicines Agency, the European Centre […]
EMA preparing guidance to tackle COVID-19 variants
EMA is developing guidance for manufacturers planning changes to the existing COVID-19 vaccines to tackle the new virus variants. In order to consider options for additional testing and development of vaccines that are effective against new virus mutations, the Agency has requested all vaccine developers to investigate if their vaccine can offer protection against any […]
Commission concludes exploratory talks with Valneva to secure a new potential vaccine
The European Commission concluded exploratory talks with the pharmaceutical company Valneva with a view to purchasing its potential vaccine against COVID-19. The envisaged contract with Valneva would provide for the possibility for all EU Member States to purchase together 30 million doses, and they could further purchase up to 30 million more doses. This finalisation […]
Commission lists key steps for effective vaccination strategies and vaccines deployment
As Europe learns to live with the pandemic, the development and swift global deployment of safe and effective vaccines against COVID-19 remains an essential element in the eventual solution to the public health crisis. In this context, the Commission is working to ensure that there will be access to safe vaccines across Europe, and encourages […]
Global regulators discuss data requirements for phase 3 trials of COVID-19 vaccines
Under the umbrella of the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities (ICMRA), international regulators discussed COVID-19 vaccine development and the necessary evidence required for regulatory decision-making at the second regulatory workshop on COVID-19 vaccines. The meeting was jointly organised by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on 22 June […]
Coronavirus Global Response: €7.4 billion raised for universal access to vaccines
The Commission has registered €7.4 billion, equivalent to $8 billion, in pledges from donors worldwide during the Coronavirus Global Response pledging event. This includes a pledge of €1.4 billion by the Commission. This almost reaches the initial target of €7.5 billion and is a solid starting point for the worldwide pledging marathon, which begins today. The […]