COVID-19 Vaccine Update – Moderna Inc. Requests Approval from the FDA and the EMA

Moderna Inc.

Moderna Inc. has submitted its request to the FDA for a EUA approval. With the FDA reviewing the Pfizer Inc. vaccine on 10^th December, the Moderna Inc. review will take place on 17^th December.

With the race to deliver a COVID-19 vaccine to the U.S and beyond continuing, it has become a two-horse race.

Both pharmas have gone down the same road on the virology front, delivering an mRNA vaccine. Until now, no regulator has reportedly approved such a vaccine.

With COVID-19 efficacy rates of between 94% and 95%, the FDA and other regulators will likely have little choice but to approve the vaccines.

Following impressive results from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech, Moderna Inc.’s final results were as impressive. An efficacy rate of 94.1% and 100% effectiveness in preventing severe cases of COVID-19 were well received.

Assuming that the FDA approves both vaccines, Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. are likely to deliver vaccines days after the approvals.

According to the European Medicines Agency (“EMA”), it has also received applications for COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer Inc. /BioNTech and Moderna Inc.

The Agency’s human medicines committee has scheduled extraordinary meetings to conclude the evaluations. In terms of timelines, the scientific committee for human medicines (“CHMP”) will conclude its assessment during an extraordinary meeting scheduled for 12^th January at the latest.

Production Projections

Since lodging EUA requests, both have provided details on vaccine production numbers for this year and the next.

Moderna Inc. expects to have 20 million doses of the vaccine available to the U.S by the end of this year. For next year, the target is to manufacture between 500 million and 1 billion doses globally.

BioNTech/Pfizer Inc. is aiming to deliver between 5 million and 50 million doses by year-end.

Both vaccines require two doses. This means that Moderna Inc. and BioNTech/Pfizer Inc. could inoculate as many as 30 million people by year-end.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

On Tuesday, the CDC is due to meet in order to deliver prioritization advice to the U.S states.

Expectations are for the CDC to prioritize health-care workers and residents of long-term care facilities.

The recommendations will come ahead of a Friday deadline for U.S states to submit vaccine distribution plans to the Federal Government.

Once phase 1a of the prioritization is complete, the CDC will then deliver further priority recommendations.