COVID19: A new vaccine could be on the way soon
Last updated 9th Nov 2020
A new coronavirus vaccine could be on the horizon quicker than at first thought.
That is because drug giant Pfizer says early data suggests its potential vaccine is more than 90% effective in preventing Covid-19.
More than 43,000 people from across the world have been taking part in phase three trials of the jab.
The UK's already ordered 30-million doses of it, which Pfizer's developing with Bio-N-Tech.
Pfizer believes it will be able to supply 50 million doses by the end of this year, and around 1.3 billion by the end of 2021.
In a statement today it said a "Clinical trial" would "continue through to final analysis at 164 confirmed cases in order to collect further data and characterize the vaccine candidate’s performance against other study endpoints."
Dr. Albert Bourla, Pfizer Chairman and CEO said: “Today is a great day for science and humanity.
"The first set of results from our Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial provides the initial evidence of our vaccine’s ability to prevent COVID-19.
"We are reaching this critical milestone in our vaccine development program at a time when the world needs it most with infection rates setting new records, hospitals nearing over-capacity and economies struggling to reopen.
"With today’s news, we are a significant step closer to providing people around the world with a much-needed breakthrough to help bring an end to this global health crisis. We look forward to sharing additional efficacy and safety data generated from thousands of participants in the coming weeks.”
“I want to thank the thousands of people who volunteered to participate in the clinical trial, our academic collaborators and investigators at the study sites, and our colleagues and collaborators around the world who are dedicating their time to this crucial endeavor,” added Bourla. “We could not have come this far without the tremendous commitment of everyone involved.”
Prof. Ugur Sahin, BioNTech co-founder and CEO added: "The first interim analysis of our global Phase 3 study provides evidence that a vaccine may effectively prevent COVID-19. This is a victory for innovation, science and a global collaborative effort,”
“When we embarked on this journey 10 months ago this is what we aspired to achieve. Especially today, while we are all in the midst of a second wave and many of us in lockdown, we appreciate even more how important this milestone is on our path towards ending this pandemic and for all of us to regain a sense of normality. 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. I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to make this important achievement possible.”
The Prime Minister said the Pfizer vaccine news was a sign the scientific cavalry'' was on its way, but stressed it was "very, very early days''.
Boris Johnson old a Downing Street press conference that the vaccine had cleared a "significant hurdle'' but there were more to cross before it could be used.