EMA ends rolling review of CVnCoV COVID-19 vaccine following withdrawal by CureVac AG

22/10/2021

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has ended the review of CVnCoV, CureVac AG's COVID-19 vaccine, after the company informed the Agency that it was withdrawing from the process. The CVnCoV vaccine contains a messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule that has instructions for making the spike protein. The mRNA is contained in tiny particles of fats (lipids) that prevent it from being broken down too quickly. 

Since February 2021, EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has been reviewing data on CVnCoV as part of a rolling review, whereby the company submits data as they become available in order to speed up the evaluation of an eventual marketing authorization application. At the time of the company’s withdrawal, EMA had received non-clinical (laboratory) data, data from ongoing clinical studies, data on the quality and manufacturing process of the vaccine, and the risk management plan.

Although EMA was speeding up its review of the data, some questions about the vaccine’s quality, impacting the benefit-risk balance of the vaccine, and the fact that results of the main study showed only a modest vaccine efficacy in adults still remained to be satisfactorily addressed. 

The company stated that it withdrew because it decided to focus its efforts on a different COVID-19 vaccine development program. The withdrawal means that EMA is no longer reviewing data on the vaccine and will not conclude this review. 

People who have taken part in clinical trials with CVnCoV and have questions about their vaccination status, the EU digital COVID certificate, or travel restrictions associated with vaccination should contact the relevant authorities in their country of residence. 

Source: EMA ends rolling review of CVnCoV COVID-19 vaccine following withdrawal by CureVac AG. Available at: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/ema-ends-rolling-review-cvncov-covid-19-vaccinefollowing-withdrawal-curevac-ag.

  • Share: