Albert Bourla, CEO of the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, is suggesting it is likely the company will soon determine whether its coronavirus vaccine is successful.
“Yes, in our base case, we have quite the good- it’s more than 60% that we will know if the product works or not by the end of October. But of course, that doesn’t mean that it works. It means that we will know if it works,” Bourla told host of CBS’ “Face the Nation” Margaret Brennan.
Watch his comments below:
When will @Pfizer know if its #Covid19 #vaccine is effective? CEO Albert Bourla to @margbrennan: “In our base case, we will know if the product works or not by the end of October.” $PFE pic.twitter.com/b3w8210Icp
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) September 13, 2020
Bourla indicated the company is preparing for the likelihood of approval of the vaccine by regulators before the end of the year.
“I cannot say what the FDA will do. But I think it’s a likely scenario, and we are preparing for it,” Bourla said.
He added, “For example, we started already manufacturing, and we have already manufactured hundreds of thousands of doses, so just in case we have a good study readout, conclusive and FDA plus the advisory committee feels comfortable that we will be ready.”
Check out more of his remarks below:
NEWS: @Pfizer is “preparing” for a situation in which its vaccine proves effective by the end of October and the @US_FDA approves it by year’s end.
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) September 13, 2020
CEO Albert Bourla tells @margbrennan that $PFE has manufactured “hundreds and thousands of doses,” just in case. pic.twitter.com/huTLp5aqaS
Pfizer, along with eight other companies, including AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, and Moderna, Inc., released a statement to reassure the public they are committed to proving the safety and efficacy of potential coronavirus vaccines, as IJR previously reported.
The companies issued the statement to outline their “united commitment to uphold the integrity of the scientific process.”
AstraZeneca announced on Saturday the company has resumed British clinical trials of its coronavirus vaccine after receiving approvals from safety watchdogs, as IJR previously reported.
The trials were suspended after an illness in a study subject in Britain.
The number of coronavirus cases continues to rise in the United States.
At least 698 new coronavirus related deaths and 39,192 new cases were reported on Saturday.