Canada regulator expects to complete Moderna COVID-19 vaccine approval in coming weeks

Dec 18 (Reuters) - Canadian health regulator said it expects to complete the review on Moderna Inc's coronavirus vaccine in the coming weeks after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved its emergency use on Friday.

"There is still information and data to be provided by Moderna for review," the regulator said in a statement.

Health Canada said it cannot provide a definite timeline for the vaccine approval but expects the process to be completed in the coming weeks.

Canada on Tuesday also announced an agreement to receive early deliveries of the Moderna vaccine amid a surge of new cases that are forcing new health restrictions across the country.

Moderna had begun the rolling submission of its vaccine candidate in Canada in October following positive early results from studies.

Last week Canada's health ministry had approved Pfizer Inc's vaccine , developed with Germany's BioNTech SE .

It has also received applications for other experimental vaccines from AstraZeneca Plc and Johnson & Johnson .

(Reporting by Ann Maria Shibu in Bengaluru Editing by Shri Navaratnam)