The European Medicines Agency (EMA) says it has started the review procedure for the COVID-19 vaccine produced by the Chinese manufacturer Sinovac.
The data will be accessed via the agency’s fast-track procedure, the EMA announced in Amsterdam on Tuesday.
The EMA experts justified their decision with preliminary results from clinical and laboratory studies.
They said it was clear that the vaccine stimulated the production of antibodies against the coronavirus and could therefore be effective as protection against COVID-19.
The EMA is examining the data according to the so-called rolling review procedure.
This involves assessing all the data, even before the trials have been completed and before the formal application for marketing authorisation has been submitted.
It is unclear how long the review process will take.
So far, four vaccines have been approved in the European Union.
Three other products have already been under review for a longer period of time according to the rolling review procedure.
