Health agency approves covid vaccine made at Livingston site
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has approved a Covid-19 vaccine developed in Livingston for use in the UK.
And it has the potential to be more effective for longer than alternative vaccines.
It is the sixth Covid-19 vaccine to be granted an MHRA authorisation for use in Britain, and is produced by French Biotech company Valneva, who have a production plant in Livingston.
In trials of the jab, blood results from volunteers who received the shot had high levels of neutralising antibodies against Covid-19.
It even outperformed some other vaccines on this measure in head-to-head tests.
The vaccine contains a whole copy of the virus that is inactivated, meaning that it can’t cause the disease but instead teaches the body how to fight Covid-19.
T his differs from the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines which contain a spike protein of the virus.
The vaccine will be given in two doses at least 28 days apart, the same way both approved AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccinations are administered.
Dr June Raine, MHRA chief executive, said: “Our approval of the Covid-19 vaccine made by Valneva follows a rigorous review of the safety, quality and effectiveness of this vaccine, and expert advice from the government’s independent scientific advisory body, the Commission on Human Medicines.”
One hundred million doses of the shot were to arrive in Britain in September 2021, but were cancelled by the UK government.
The renewed deal was made possible by Scottish Governmental body Scottish Enterprise, who provided a multi-million pound grant following the UK Government’s cancelled billion pound order.
This grant allowed the manufacturing site in Livingston to extend its workforce and produce the vaccination.
Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Linlithgow, said:“This is fantastic news for Valneva, and a huge step towards the drive for global vaccination, as this is the first whole virus in-activated covid vaccine to gain regulatory approval in the UK and, unlike other vaccinations, it does not need to be transported in extremely low temperatures.
“It is also good news that the Livingstonbased company will receive £20million from Scottish Enterprise to aid expansion of the facility as they work on vaccinations for export.
“I am delighted that the collective work of local Parliamentarians, Hannah Bardell MP, Angela Constance MSP and myself, convinced the Scottish Government of the value and opportunities behind backing the manufacturing facility in West Lothian when the UK Government backed out of their order.
“Well done to all staff at the Valneva Manufacturing Site.”