Monday, November 9, 2020

Pfizer Is Still Two Months Behind Moderna -- Moderna Will Shortly File With FDA... But Good News For All, On COVID-19 Vaccines' Progress


This is quite encouraging, to be certain.

But I am equally certain that any 1,200 point pop in the Dow is overheated, based on this news. New record highs are not warranted, at least not yet. That said, I do believe we will have an FDA-approved, safe and effective vaccine being distributed by the end of March 2021 -- but likely not too much before then. And, at the moment, Moderna's mRNA candidate has the lead from where I sit. There will be many winners to be sure, as we vaccinate perhaps hundreds and hundreds of millions, globally -- but here's FierceBiotech on it all, and a bit.

. . . .On Monday, pharmaceutical company Pfizer said that its vaccine, in partnership with BioNTech, was effective in preventing COVID-19 infection in more than 90% of people, based on initial data from a large study. The new data indicates that the company is on track to file an emergency use application with US regulators. . . .

The pair's mRNA-based vaccine candidate, BNT162b2, has shown in its closely watched phase 3 that it was more than 90% effective in preventing COVID-19 in participants without evidence of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection in the first interim efficacy analysis.

This is a big deal, given that most saw 50% to 70% effectiveness as a strong win; 90% is likely the best case for the vaccine, and Pfizer cautioned that as more data come in, this could change. The data are based on a two-shot dosing schedule, and the 90% figure comes 28 days after the initial dose. . . .


Still. . . let's let the real bio-science call the shot here. I should mention specifically that the Pfizer candidate showing nice preliminary results today is not part of the Trumpian "Warp Speed" initiative. Nor is the Moderna mRNA candidate; both follow. . . real science, exclusively and only.

नमस्ते

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