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Covid-19 vaccine update: Pfizer applies for EUA in Japan, FDA to approve Moderna candidate
Oxford University said on Thursday its candidate has shown better immune response when a two full-dose regime is given, rather than a full-dose followed by a half-dose booster.
The global search for a vaccine for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has reached a critical stage as several countries have started giving vaccine shots for emergency cases. The Pfizer Inc-BioNTech SE’s vaccine is being used in countries like the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada, while several other countries have given emergency use authorisation (EUA) to it. Various other vaccine candidates, meanwhile, are at different stages of trials across the globe and it is likely many others will be given the nod in the coming days.
Here are some latest updates on the Covid-19 vaccine development front:
1. Pfizer on Friday applied for EUA of its vaccine in Japan as well. The Japanese government has signed a deal with Pfizer for 120 million doses of the vaccine. Japan hopes to vaccinate all its citizens in the first half of 2021, cabinet secretary Katsunobu Kato said prior to Pfizer’s announcement.
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2. The United States’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which recently endorsed Moderna’s vaccine candidate, decided to grant EUA to it on Thursday, news agency Reuters has reported quoting the Financial Times. This comes after FDA, earlier in the day, informed Moderna it would “rapidly work towards the finalisation and issuance of the EUA of the vaccine candidate,” the report said.
Also Read | Oxford says Covid-19 vaccine has good immune response with 2-dose regime
3. Oxford University on Thursday said early data from the late-stage trials of its candidate, Covishield, shows it has a better immune response when a two full-dose regime is given, rather than a full-dose followed by a half-dose booster. Oxford is developing Covishield in collaboration with AstraZeneca.
4. Johnson & Johnson on Thursday announced it has “fully enrolled” participants for the late-stage trials of its single-dose Covid-19 vaccine candidate. The trials, which are called ‘ENSEMBLE,’ will comprise about 45,000 participants. The company also said it plans to apply for EUA in the US in February 2021 if the candidate is found safe and effective.
(With agency inputs)
