Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine has been cleared by the European Medicines Agency, according to Bloomberg. The clearance paves the way for the first single-injection shot that will bolster the European vaccination campaign.
The European Commission said it would move quickly to rubber-stamp the decision of EMA
The EU has purchased 200 million doses of the J&J vaccine, with an option for 200 million more.
The U.K., where some of J&J’s advanced trials were done, has purchased 30 million doses of the vaccine but hasn’t cleared it for use.
The European Commission had previously said deliveries were expected to begin in early April, but officials are not bracing for delays.
EU diplomats were told J&J was yet to provide a delivery schedule for the shot at a meeting on Wednesday.
J&J vaccine is the fourth to be cleared in the EU, after those of AstraZeneca Plc and the University of Oxford, Pfizer Inc. and partner BioNTech SE, and Moderna Inc.
J&J’s vaccine was found to be 67% effective against symptomatic Covid-19 IN trials, a number that was affected by the prevalence of new variants of the virus.
Paul Stoffels, J&J chief scientific officer, termed EMA’s recommendation as a “landmark moment.”
Johnson & Johnson’s stock is currently gaining. JNJ: NYSE is up 0.32%
