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GSK Shoulder-To-Shoulder With CureVac Over COVID-19 Vaccine U-Turn

Focus On Second-Generation After EMA Filing Withdrawal

 
• By Kevin Grogan

The UK major is delighted with the German biotech's decision to throw in the regulatory towel with CVnCoV and concentrate on the firms' collaboration to development a second-generation COVID-19 vaccine. However, GSK is insisting that the partners look at both modified as well as unmodified mRNA approaches, a significant change of strategy for CureVac.

Uturn
Curevac switches its stance on mRNA approach • Source: Alamy

While investors in CureVac NV reacted badly to the not-so-surprising news that it has pulled an application to the European Medicines Agency for approval of its first mRNA-based coronavirus vaccine, partner GlaxoSmithKline plc has applauded the decision to focus on a second-generation jab it is developing with the German biotech.

CureVac has withdrawn from a rolling review its first-generation COVID-19 vaccine candidate, CVnCoV, which showed only modest efficacy in a pivotal Phase IIb/III study in June

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