The European Medicines Agency said it could greenlight Novavax's Covid-19 vaccine within weeks if data is able to demonstrate the shot's efficacy and safety.
Regulators in the Philippines approved the Novavax shot, which is being assessed in Europe.
The images are from the same company.
The European Medicines Agency said it could consider the shot on an expedited time frame because it had already reviewed a substantial portion of the data during a rolling review.
Novavax uses an older technology that could help overcome vaccine hesitancy in some people.
The jab was approved for emergency use in Indonesia and the Philippines on Wednesday, both produced by the Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine manufacturer by volume.
Novavax's shares rose more than 8% Wednesday.
Novavax may be late to arrive, but it has a number of advantages over existing vaccines and has the potential to dramatically boost vaccination rates worldwide. It appears to have an impressive efficacy on par with the vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer and can be stored and shipped at normal temperatures. The shot uses an older design that uses part of the coronaviruses to induce an immune response, but newer technologies may be more comfortable for vaccine-hesitant individuals. The US government invested more money in Novavax than any other vaccine maker at the time, despite bringing no vaccine to market.
What to watch for.
Novavax expects to file with the FDA by the end of the year, and will prioritize clearance in less affluent countries left behind in the roll out of other vaccines. It will be a major milestone for the company if it is endorsed by the FDA, as well as an important seal of approval for the vaccine from a widely respected regulator. The company has filed for emergency authorization in India, the World Health Organization, Canada, the U.K. and Australia.
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