European Commission grants marketing authorization to Valneva’s COVID-19 vaccine

The logo of Franco-Austrian biotechnology company Valneva is seen outside its headquarters in Vienna, Austria, December 16, 2021. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

June 24 (Reuters) – French drugmaker Valneva’s COVID-19 vaccine (VLS.PA) has received marketing authorization from the European Commission (EC) for use as a primary vaccination in the elderly ages 18 to 50, the company said Friday. .

The marketing authorization will cover the Member States of the European Union as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

“Now that we have received this full marketing authorization, we hope that the EC and its member states will place orders that reflect this request,” Valneva CEO Thomas Lingelback said in a statement.

Valneva tried to salvage a supply contract with the European Commission for up to 60 million doses, which the Commission has signaled it wants to change to a smaller number of doses due to demand delays and countries in Europe having already a surplus of supply. Read more

Britain canceled its Valneva vaccine contract in 2021, but the company won approvals in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

Valneva’s vaccine uses technology already used for decades in vaccines against poliomyelitis, influenza and hepatitis. The company thinks it will appeal to people who had turned down COVID vaccines using mRNA and other new technologies.

Shares of Paris-listed Valneva jumped on Thursday after the European medicines agency recommended the hit. Read more

Reporting by Valentine Baldassari; Editing by Jan Harvey, Elaine Hardcastle

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