One woman receives the second component of the vaccine COVID-19 Gam-COVID-Vac (Sputnik V).
Valentin Sprinchak | TASS | Getty Images
LONDON – The European Medicines Agency announced on Thursday that it will begin evaluating Spabnik V, a Russian coronavirus attack, as the bloc hopes to speed up its vaccination program.
“The EMA will assess compliance with Sputnik V with the usual EU standards for efficiency, safety and quality. Although the EMA cannot predict general deadlines, it should spend less time than normal to assess a eventual application, “the regulator said in a statement.
The EMA uses a continuous review to study data from the jab developed in Russia. This allows the European medical authority to evaluate its effectiveness as it receives all the necessary information before the vaccine manufacturer can apply for formal authorization. By analyzing pre-application studies, potential EMA approval could arrive faster than usual.
The news comes after several European countries indicated that they could start administering Sputnik V, bypassing the regulator. Slovakia and Hungary have already requested doses of Russian prick, while the Czech Republic and Austria are studying 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 the Covid coups, as their program is clearly lagging behind other parts of the world, such as Israel, the United States and the United Kingdom.
The region is still mostly closed due to social constraints, which affect people’s economy and livelihoods.
Austria and Denmark have also recently joined forces with Israel in the production of second-generation vaccines, intended to treat variants of Covid-19. At the time of the announcement, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz mentioned that the EMA has been 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 in the production and delivery of vaccines.
European countries have agreed that coordinated action would be the best way to deal with the health emergency and have commissioned the European Commission to negotiate contracts with pharmaceutical companies.
However, under European law, EU member states can still approve their own vaccines without waiting for approval at EU level.