Filenews 25 October 2021
It is only a matter of time before other vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 are licensed, as well as therapeutic approaches to prevent COVID-19, said the Deputy Director of Pharmaceutical Services of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Elena Panagiotopoulou, who said that Cyprus participates in the direct procurement procedures and as soon as they are licensed she will receive them immediately.
According to Ms. Panagiotopoulou, there is a lot of movement both in terms of vaccines and therapeutic approaches, noting that "we are close to licensing the vaccines" and it is expected that their feedings will begin soon.
In December Valneva's vaccine
Asked by the CNA to report on the licensing of vaccines that are approaching, Dr. Panayotopoulou said Valneva's vaccine is expected to be licensed in December 2021, noting that this formulation is based on an inactivated, adjuvant carrier of the virus, a more traditional form of vaccine than mRNA or adenovirus vaccine.
It is noted that a similar technology is used in the Chinese vaccines of the companies Sinopharm and Sinovac.
On October 31st the evaluation for the pill by MSD
He also referred to the pill against the coronavirus from MSD, whose evaluation begins on October 31. As Dr. Ed. Panagiotopoulou "this is an anti-viral formulation, which is expected to have an impact".
In addition, he reported that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has begun evaluating an application to extend the use of BioNTech/Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, Comirnaty, to children aged 5 to 11 years, and noted that the EMA's Committee on Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has launched a rolling review of Evusheld (also known as AZD7442), a combination of two monoclonal antibodies (tixagevimab and cilgavimab), which is being developed by AstraZeneca AB, to prevent COVID-19 in adults.
He also added how the EMA ended the rolling review of CVnCoV, CureVac AG's covid-19 vaccine, after the company informed the Agency of its withdrawal from the process.
In addition, Ms Panayotopoulou said that the EMA began evaluating an application for marketing authorisation for the combination of ronapreve monoclonal antibodies (casirivimab / imdevimab), explaining that Ronapreve, co-developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Roche Registration GmbH, is intended to treat COVID-19 in adults and adolescents aged 12 years and older, who do not require additional oxygen therapy and who are at increased risk of development get into serious cases of COVID 19, as well as to prevent COVID-19 in adults and adolescents aged 12 years and older.
Cyprus participates in direct procurement procedures
In response to a relevant question, Ms. Panagiotopoulou said that there is "intense mobility both in terms of vaccines and therapeutic approaches", noting that "Cyprus participates in direct procurement procedures and as soon as they are licensed and fed in Europe we will have them too".
He assured that Cyprus is not deprived of timely supply, like other states, explaining that "we participate in the process of direct supply of both vaccines and medicines licensed by the EMA".
CNA
