Pfizer applies for US emergency approval of coronavirus vaccine
- ‘We literally could be weeks away from the authorisation’ if the data is solid, says US Health Secretary Alex Azar
- The Food and Drug Administration is tentatively planning advisory meetings for three days from December 8 to discuss vaccines
Pfizer said on Friday it has applied to US health regulators for emergency approval of its Covid-19 vaccine, in a major milestone to inoculate the population against the virus that has claimed lives and disrupted the economy.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is tentatively planning advisory meetings for three days from December 8 to discuss vaccines ahead the potential approval of the Pfizer candidate, developed with German partner BioNTech.
“We literally could be weeks away from the authorisation of a 95 per cent effective vaccine,” if the data is solid, US Health Secretary Alex Azar said on CBS This Morning, referring to the Pfizer candidate.
If approved, the vaccine, which uses a new method known as messenger RNA (mRNA), will become the first to clear the US regulatory threshold since the pandemic began early this year.
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Pfizer coronavirus vaccine more than 90 per cent effective, US drug maker says
The production of the vaccine is ongoing with 50 million doses expected by the end of the year, the New York-based pharmaceutical company said. It will likely to be rolled out in phases, first going to health care workers, the elderly and people with underlying health conditions.