1st vaccines by yr end in best case - IRBM

(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 2 - An Italian biotech firm working on a COVID vaccine with international drugs giant AstraZeneca and Oxford Universitysaid Monday it hoped to have the first 20-30 million does available for the EU by the end of the year, in a best-case scenario.
    "We expect that the third phase of clinical trials may be concluded at the end of November," said IRBM President and CEO Piero Di Lorenzo.
    "At that point the word goes to the regulatory agencies.
    "The problem is getting to the end of the tests without adverse events happening.
    "If we do conclude trials, the regulatory agencies will take 3-4 weeks and we will manage to deliver the first 20-30 million does to the EU by the end of the year".
    IRBM is based at Pomezia south of Rome.
    Di Lorenzo said that approval normally takes between six and eight months but in this case the regulators will try to cut the necessary time to "a matter of weeks".
    But he stressed: "that does not mean that the vaccine will not be safe". (ANSA).