Vaccines For COVID Variants Will Require Clinical Data, US FDA Says

Safety and immunogenicity data may not be sufficient to get FDA authorization of COVID-19 vaccines against a variant, FDA’s Doran Fink says. For now, agency expects to see clinical data. Eventually, strain changes might be based on manufacturing information.

Covid variant
US FDA wants to see clinical data showing COVID-19 vaccine protection against variants • Source: Alamy

The US Food and Drug Administration may not authorize a modified COVID-19 vaccine to protect against SARS-CoV-2 variants based solely on safety and immunogenicity data, and at least for now expects to see clinical data, FDA’s Doran Fink said.

Speaking at the National Vaccine Advisory Committee’s 17 June meeting, Fink, deputy director for clinical review in the Division of Vaccines and Related Products Applications, noted that there are a number of considerations for evaluation of modified

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on Pink Sheet for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required

More from Vaccines

Moderna Pivots To Increase Focus On Cancer Amid US Vaccine Policy Changes

 
• By 

During its first quarter earnings call, Moderna avoided criticizing vaccine policy changes, but de-emphasized its flu/COVID-19 vaccine for those under age 50 and prioritized cancer programs.

How States And Courts Could Insulate America From An Anti-Vaccine Executive Branch

 

The mood at the World Vaccines Congress in Washington, D.C. was bleak given Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s rise to lead the Trump Administration’s Health and Human Services Department, but vaccine lawyers offered an optimistic outlook and ideas for countering his vaccine agenda.

Maybe In May: US FDA Calls Coming On Moderna Next-Gen COVID-19 Vaccine, AbbVie’s Big ADC Bet

 

The 31 May goal date for Moderna’s next-generation COVID-19 vaccine looms over the month, but the US FDA's decision lineup includes three more novel agents, including AbbVie's Teliso-V antibody-drug conjugate, as well as supplemental indications like GSK's bid for Nucala in COPD.

Updated: Makary Backs New Novavax COVID-19 Trial, Political Officials Take Over Product Review

 

In an unusual move, Tracy Beth Høeg, a special assistant to FDA Commissioner Martin Makary, is leading the continued negotiations on Novavax’s delayed COVID-19 vaccine approval.

More from Pink Sheet

What The EMA Can Teach HTA Bodies About Joint Clinical Assessments

 

EU-level joint clinical assessments conducted under the Health Technology Assessment Regulation need to be more flexible when it comes to evidence requirements, according to experts speaking at a gene and cell therapy conference.

Moderna Pivots To Increase Focus On Cancer Amid US Vaccine Policy Changes

 
• By 

During its first quarter earnings call, Moderna avoided criticizing vaccine policy changes, but de-emphasized its flu/COVID-19 vaccine for those under age 50 and prioritized cancer programs.

What MAHA Means For US FDA: Prevention Is Not What You Think

 

US HHS Advisor Calley Means said new pathways for root-cause treatments are part of the HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vision for the FDA. But what most biopharma companies consider preventative medicines are not what he has in mind, nor does he seem to see those companies as part of the solution.