A woman receives the second component of the COVID-19 Gam-COVID-Vac vaccine (Sputnik V).
Valentin Sprinchak | TASS | Getty Images
LONDON – The European Medicines Agency said on Thursday it would begin evaluating Russia’s coronavirus javelin, Sputnik V, as the bloc plans to speed up its vaccination program.
“The EMA will assess Sputnik V’s compliance with the usual EU standards for efficacy, safety and quality. Although the EMA cannot predict the overall deadlines, it should take less time than usual to assess a possible application,” he said. the regulatory authority in a statement.
The EMA uses an ongoing review to study the data for the jab developed in Russia. This allows the European health authority to assess its effectiveness, as it receives all the necessary information before the vaccine manufacturer can apply for a formal authorization. By analyzing the studies before the application, the potential approval of the EMA could come faster than usual.
The news comes after a number of European countries indicated that they could start administering Sputnik V, bypassing the regulator. Slovakia and Hungary have already ordered doses of Russian jab, while the Czech Republic and Austria are testing the vaccine.
In January, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was “open” to the idea of producing Russia’s coronavirus vaccine in the European Union.
Under pressure
European countries are under pressure to accelerate the launch of Covid jabs, as their program is clearly behind other parts of the world, such as Israel, the United States and the United Kingdom.
The region is still largely closed due to social restrictions, which affect its economy and livelihoods.
Austria and Denmark have recently joined forces with Israel in the production of second-generation vaccines to address Covid-19 variants. At the time of the announcement, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz mentioned that the EMA was too slow in approving vaccines to fight the pandemic.
The institution has so far approved three vaccines: Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Moderna.
In addition, European countries have criticized pharmaceutical companies for some obstacles to vaccine production and delivery.
The European nations agreed that coordinated action would be the best way to deal with the medical emergency and instructed the European Commission to negotiate contracts with pharmaceutical companies.
However, EU Member States are still allowed under European law to approve their own vaccines without waiting for EU approval.