US firm Johnson & Johnson is likely to apply for EU approval for its Covid-19 vaccine candidate in February, a top lawmaker said on Wednesday.
The EU has booked 200 million doses of the J&J vaccine and has an option to order another 200 million shots.
The J&J jab is mono-dose, unlike other vaccines approved so far in the EU which require two doses for full protection.
"EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides announced during our (EU lawmakers) group meeting this morning that the vaccine manufacturer Johnson & Johnson is likely to submit an application for approval to the EU for their vaccine in February," said lawmaker Peter Liese.
Mr Liese represents health matters for the EU's centre-right group, the assembly's largest.
The EU drugs regulator had said in December it expected J&J to apply in the first quarter of this year.
The European Medicines Agency started on December 1st a rolling review of the vaccine, which J&J is developing through its subsidiary Janssen.
