COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech demonstrates 90 pc effectiveness in preventing infection
The companies expect to produce up to 50 million vaccine doses in 2020 and up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021 globally.
In the latest development to make a COVID-19 vaccine, US-based pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and Germany-based biopharmaceutical company BioNTech announced that their mRNA-based vaccine candidate, BNT162b2, has demonstrated to be 90 percent effective in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection.
According to the official statement, the companies claimed that the results are based on the first interim efficacy analysis conducted on November 8, 2020 by an external, independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) from the Phase III clinical study.
The statement revealed that the companies are currently preparing safety and manufacturing data and plans to submit it to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) to prove the safety and quality of the vaccine.
They expect to produce up to 50 million vaccine doses in 2020 and up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021 globally.
The third phase of the 10-month-long clinical trial of BNT162b2 began on July 27, with the vaccine being tested on 43,538 participants. Around 38,955 of the total participants received a second dose of the vaccine candidate on November 8, 2020.
“The first interim analysis of our global Phase III study provides evidence that a vaccine may effectively prevent COVID-19. This is a victory for innovation, science and a global collaborative effort. We will continue to collect further data as the trial continues to enroll for a final analysis planned when a total of 164 confirmed COVID-19 cases have accrued, ” said Prof Ugur Sahin, Co-founder and CEO, BioNTech.
According to the official statement, the vaccine demonstrated that it provides effective protection against COVID-19 28 days after the first dose and seven days after the second dose. The vaccine consists of two dosages, however, the final vaccine efficacy percentage may vary as the study continues.
The DMC has not reported any serious safety concerns and has recommended to continue the study and collect additional efficacy data as planned. The data will be discussed with regulatory authorities worldwide
Edited by Kanishk Singh