Turkey's domestic COVID-19 vaccine applies for emergency authorisation

The emergency authorization application for the domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine Turkovac has been submitted to the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency (TITCK), Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced Thursday.

Speaking at his ministry's budget debate in parliament, Koca said work on Turkovac was nearing completion, and added the shot would mark the first Phase III clinical research project to be fully carried out by Turkey.

The vaccine, previously known as ERUCOV-VAC, is an inactive COVID-19 vaccine. A similar jab, CoronaVac developed by Chinese firm Sinovac, had formed the backbone of the country's vaccination program before messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines were available in greater numbers, Daily Sabah reported,.

The Phase 3 trials of the vaccine are almost complete, a member of the Coronavirus Scientific Advisory Board recently said.