EMA advises GlaxoSmithKline on Ebola vaccine development

The European Medicines Agency has given scientific advice to UK pharma major GlaxoSmithKline (LSE: GSK) on its development plan for an Ebola vaccine.

This is the first time in the current Ebola outbreak that the EMA has given ‘rapid scientific advice’ using an accelerated procedure. The EMA established this procedure to contribute to the global response against Ebola and to help companies speed up the development of Ebola vaccines and treatments.

Through rapid scientific advice, developers can receive the EMA’s expert opinion and advice for example on clinical trial design, manufacturing-related questions as well as safety monitoring of medicines. The EMA encourages companies to request rapid scientific advice for their development plans. This will help them to generate the robust data and information needed to assess that treatments and vaccines against Ebola actually work, are acceptably safe and of high quality.