AstraZeneca's Vaxzevria COVID-19 Vaccine Approved by EU as Booster for Adults
AstraZeneca
Biopharmaceutical Manufacturer
European Medicines Agency
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is a decentralized agency of the European Union (EU), located in London. It began operations in 1995. The agency is responsible for the scientific evaluation, supervision, and safety monitoring of medicines developed by pharmaceutical companies for use in the EU. By ensuring that all medicines available on the EU market are safe, effective, and of high quality, the EMA protects public and animal health in the 28 EU Member States and countries of the European Economic Area.
Intelligent Finance APP learned that AstraZeneca (AZN.US) announced on Monday that its COVID-19 vaccine, Vaxzevria, has been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) as a booster shot for adults. Last Thursday, the booster shot of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine (clinical trial data) received a positive assessment from the CHMP (Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use).
It is reported that this vaccine can be used as a booster shot for the first two doses of Vaxzevria COVID-19 vaccine, or as a booster for other mRNA COVID-19 vaccines produced by companies such as Pfizer (PFE.US)/BioNTech (BNTX.US) or Moderna (MRNA.US).
Mene Pangalos, Executive Vice President of BioPharmaceuticals R&D at AstraZeneca, said in a statement: "Ensuring longer-lasting immune protection is crucial for the global fight against the pandemic, and booster shots can address the issue of waning immunity over time, which has been observed in all major vaccines to date."