Pfizer Inc., the American multinational pharmaceutical corporation has released an information stating that some of the documents that the company had submitted to Europe’s top drug regulator regarding its COVID-19 vaccine had been accessed in a cyber-attack on the agency. “Documents related to the development of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine were unlawfully accessed in a cyber-attack on Europe’s medicines regulators” the firms stated. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) confirmed earlier that it had been subjected to a cyber-attack but did not provide any details beyond saying a ‘full investigation’ had been launched. The EMA is working on approval of two COVID-19 vaccines, which it expects to conclude within weeks.

The companies said that none of their systems had been breached in connection with the incident and that they are “unaware that any study participants have been identified through the data being accessed”. “We are unaware of any personal data being accessed,” Pfizer said in a statement.

The EMA issued a brief statement Wednesday saying that it had been attacked and had “swiftly launched a full investigation, in close cooperation with law enforcement

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) confirmed earlier that it had been subjected to a cyber-attack but did not provide any details beyond saying a ‘full investigation’ had been launched

and other relevant entities.” It declined further comment.

The EMA, which authorizes the use of medicines across the EU, assured BioNTech that the attack will have no impact on the timeline for its review. The agency is due to complete its review by 29 December. Regulators are already evaluating clinical trial data on a rolling basis, and a clearance is expected toward the end of the year.

Apart from that Pfizer is also witnessing an unexpected hurdle as six people died during trials of the coronavirus vaccine produced by the American pharmaceutical company, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Wednesday. In a statement released by US channel Al-Hurra, the FDA confirmed that among the deceased was a participant who was obese and suffering from arteriosclerosis and died three days after taking the first dose of the vaccine. The FDA added that two participants died from heart attacks or stroke, and the cause of death of two others is still being determined. “Of the 6 dead, three are over the age of 55,” the FDA clarified. According to Pfizer’s website, Phase Three of the clinical trials included a total of 43,538 participants. The FDA previously confirmed the vaccine’s 95 percent efficacy rate, and supporting documents have proven that the drug is safe and may be used for emergency situations.