WHO to review Merck’s ebola vaccine for emergency use

Worldwide drug manufacturer Merck recently announced that its application for Emergency Use Assessment and Listing (EUAL) for the company’s Ebola Zaire vaccine (V920) has been accepted for review by the World Health Organization.

The EUAL is designed specifically to expedite the availability of vaccines needed for public health emergencies like the recent ebola outbreak in west Africa. The specialized procedure is usually implemented when there is an outbreak of a disease with high rates of mortality, lack of treatment options or preventative measures.

Vice President for Clinical Research at Merck Laboratories Paula Annunziato said that the vaccine’s application would be based on data regarding safety, quality and effectiveness.

“This application to the WHO is an important step toward enabling V920 to be used if a public health emergency of international concern were to be declared for the Ebola Zaire species prior to licensure of the vaccine candidate,” Annunziato said.

V920 was developed by scientists from the Public Health Agency of Canada and was licensed to a subsidiary of NewLink Genetics Corporation. As the ebola outbreak reached its peak, Merck licensed the vaccine from NewLink in order to accelerate the assessment of the candidate vaccine.

Merck is now responsible for developing and manufacturing the vaccine for future use should it be necessary.