A vaccine for Coronavirus could be approved in a year in an “optimistic” scenario, the European Medicines Association (EMA) said on Thursday.
“For vaccines, since the development has to start from scratch … we might look from an optimistic side in a year from now, so beginning of 2021,” EMA’s head of biological health threats and vaccines strategy Marco Cavaleri told reporters, according to Reuters
Cavaleri also questioned reports supporting that a vaccine could be ready by September, and warned that there could be delays along the way.
“But again I have to stress that this is a best-case scenario, we know not all vaccines that come into development may not make it to authorization and disappear,” he added.
The EMA’s chief also ruled out the possibility of skipping the third phase of vaccine trials, stressing that any vaccine found should be safe and effective. Reuters also reported that the EMA is examining 115 different therapeutics, or treatments, for the novel Coronavirus, with some of them likely to be approved in Europe this summer.
Dozens of countries across the globe have entered the race for the cure, as fears over a second wave of the virus are growing.
Earlier in May, world leaders pledged billions for vaccine, diagnostics and treatment against Covid-19, with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel providing €525 million and the French President Emmanuel Macron €510 million.