Swiss drug authority Swissmedic has begun evaluating the so-called “Covid-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca”. It is the first time that a drugmaker has presented a coronavirus vaccine for approval in Switzerland.
AstraZeneca, which developed the vaccine in collaboration with the University of Oxford, submitted its application to Swissmedic at the start of this month.
The vaccine’s scientific evaluation will be done via a “rolling submission” process. This allows a pharmaceutical company to launch the application procedure before a product’s development is complete.
This “enables Swissmedic to carry out the scientific assessment of non-clinical data from laboratory tests while clinical trials are still in progress,” announced Swissmedic in a statement on Tuesday, noting that trial results must be submitted for scientific review as they become available over the next weeks and months.
More
More
Half of Swiss would get vaccinated against Covid-19
This content was published on
If there were an efficient vaccination against coronavirus, every second person in Switzerland would take it, says a survey.
“However, no decision on authorisation can be taken until all the data needed to assess the safety, quality and efficacy of the vaccine have been submitted. The documentation must demonstrate how safe and effective the vaccine is in protecting humans against the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus,” wrote the Swiss drug authority.
Swissmedic noted that while it is reviewing the vaccine independently, it is also working closely with partner authorities abroad. No medicinal product can go onto the Swiss market without Swissmedic’s approval.
More
More
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
Switzerland to step up humanitarian aid to Lebanon and Syria
This content was published on
The Swiss government decided to allocate an additional CHF7 million to the two countries in response to the escalating violence in the Middle East.
Report exposes widespread hygiene issues in Swiss hospitals
This content was published on
A Swissmedic report found that nearly all of the 25 Swiss hospitals inspected had issues with disinfecting, sterilising and packaging of medical products.
Swiss bank Mirabaud closes brokerage unit due to poor performance
This content was published on
The move spanning the bank’s global operations means a loss of 17 jobs, including five each in Switzerland and the UK, and seven in Spain.
Guterres condemns Israel’s plan to label UNRWA a terrorist organisation
This content was published on
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has spoken out against a law proposed by the Israeli parliament that would classify UNRWA as a terrorist organisation.
This content was published on
The Swiss federal technology institute ETH Zurich is the best university in continental Europe, according to the Times Higher Education ranking.
Switzerland pre-orders 4.5 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine
This content was published on
The Swiss government has signed a deal with US biotech firm Moderna to secure early access to 4.5 million doses of a Covid-19 vaccine currently in development.
Switzerland fast-tracks antiviral medication against Covid-19
This content was published on
Swissmedic, the agency that oversees the use of medicaments in Switzerland, took days to fast-track approval of the drug, which is produced under the brand name Veklury by US biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences. The application for its extended use was only received on Monday. It can now be used for a limited period of time to…
Join the conversation!