Pfizer-BioNTech seeks full marketing approval from UK for COVID-19 vaccine

Pfizer is seeking full marketing authorisation from Britain for its COVID-19 vaccine, an executive said on Wednesday as the U.S. drugmaker gears up to deliver by the weekend the first shots following approval for emergency use in the country. Deliveries to Britain could not have started until the regulators had given their go ahead, he said.

Pfizer is seeking full marketing authorisation from Britain for its COVID-19 vaccine, an executive said on Wednesday as the U.S. drugmaker gears up to deliver by the weekend the first shots following approval for emergency use in the country. The application for full approval is "in parallel" with emergency use, said Berkeley Phillips, medical director of Pfizer UK, in a briefing.

He said regulators will review the same data provided for the emergency use by Pfizer and its partner and BioNTech for the full approval. He did not say when that decision may come. Deliveries to Britain could not have started until the regulators had given their go ahead, he said. Regulators will assess each batch of the vaccine for quality.