Pfizer/BioNTech's adapted Omicron COVID vaccine begins EMA rolling review
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The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has started a rolling review of Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) and BioNTech's (NASDAQ:BNTX) COVID-19 vaccine that provides protection against Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5.
The shot under review is bivalent, meaning it also provides protection against the original SARS-CoV-2 strain.

In July, the agency began a rolling review of an adjusted Comirnaty bivalent vaccine that contains protection against the original strain as well as the BA.1 Omicron subvariant.
As of August 6, the CDC reported that in the U.S., BA.4 represented 87.1% of cases, while BA.5 accounted for 6.6%.
In late June, the U.S. FDA asked that COVID vaccines be updated to provide protection against the latest subvariants of Omicron.
Other COVID vaccine names: Moderna (MRNA), Novavax (NVAX).
Both the EMA and the U.S. FDA are aiming to have the new vaccines available for administration in September.