Valneva COVID-19 Vaccine: European Commission Agreement “Notice of Abolition”

The Franco-Austrian pharmaceutical group Valneva received a notice from the European Commission for the Vaccine against COVID-19 “with the intention of terminating the supply contract,” it announced Monday.

An agreement signed between the European Commission and the group gave the Commission the right to terminate the vaccine, developed by Valneva, known as VLA2001, unless the agency Medicines obtains marketing authority from the European Union (EMA) by April 30, 2022. , Valneva recalled.

“According to the terms of the contract, Valneva has 30 days from May 13, 2022 to obtain marketing authority or propose a plan to resolve the situation in an acceptable manner,” Valneva said.

The group “makes VLA2001 available to member states that want to accept such a plan and get vaccinated, in conjunction with the European Commission and the member states participating in the agreement,” he said.

In late April, Valneva received a list of new questions from EMA. In a statement on Monday, the group’s chief executive, Thomas Lingelbach, said he had “answered these questions on May 2” and “hoped his submission would provide appropriate answers to the remaining questions.” EMA “accepts these answers”, Valneva “can get a positive feedback after June 2022”.

He described the European Commission’s decision as “sad”, adding that “we continue to receive messages, especially from Europeans looking for a more traditional vaccine solution.”

Valneva’s vaccine is based on a passive virus. Compared to Pseudomonas / BioNotech or Modernna vaccines with messenger RNA, it is somewhat more traditional technology, or novovax, recombinant than the estrogen and Johnson & Johnson with the viral vector, compared to messenger RNA-enabled antiviral vaccines.