Vaccine news this Monday morning:
Really big.
Really good.
(Preliminarily.)
Pfizer & German partner BioNTech report their vaccine — furthest along in US trials — is 90% effective.
That's better than the most optimistic hopes scientists & doctors had.
statnews.com/2020/11/09/cov…
Really big.
Really good.
(Preliminarily.)
Pfizer & German partner BioNTech report their vaccine — furthest along in US trials — is 90% effective.
That's better than the most optimistic hopes scientists & doctors had.
statnews.com/2020/11/09/cov…
2/ How big is this news as the pandemic is raging out of control across the US and Europe?
US stock market futures are indicated up 1,400 points for the Dow at the open (9:30 am), which is 5%, and would send the Dow to a new all-time record at the opening.
US stock market futures are indicated up 1,400 points for the Dow at the open (9:30 am), which is 5%, and would send the Dow to a new all-time record at the opening.
3/ The US public health expert Ashish Jha, now dean of the school of public health at Brown, says, 'If that headline really number really holds up, that is huge. That is much better than I was expecting and it will make a huge difference.'
4/ What does '90% effective' mean for a vaccine, in this case?
Those in the vaccine trial who received 2 doses of the vaccine, 3 weeks apart, were 90% less likely to catch symptomatic covid-19 than those who received a placebo.
The trial has 44,000 Americans enrolled.
Those in the vaccine trial who received 2 doses of the vaccine, 3 weeks apart, were 90% less likely to catch symptomatic covid-19 than those who received a placebo.
The trial has 44,000 Americans enrolled.
5/ Small fix: The study has 44,000 volunteers worldwide.
The total number of doses of vaccine administered is high — 39,000 of the 44,000 participants have received both dose. (That is, those getting the vaccine, and those getting the placebo.)
The total number of doses of vaccine administered is high — 39,000 of the 44,000 participants have received both dose. (That is, those getting the vaccine, and those getting the placebo.)
6/ That excellent @statnews story has great detail (as ever), including what isn't known about the vaccine's effectiveness.
From the story by @matthewherper:
• Not released is whether the vaccine prevents the most serious cases of covid-19, requiring hospitalization.
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From the story by @matthewherper:
• Not released is whether the vaccine prevents the most serious cases of covid-19, requiring hospitalization.
-->
7/ Also not clear about the Pfizer vaccine:
• Whether the vaccine prevents people carrying the virus without symptoms.
• How safe it is, what side effects are, and how common they are.
• Whether the vaccine prevents people carrying the virus without symptoms.
• How safe it is, what side effects are, and how common they are.
8/ Pfizer and BioNTech are furiously manufacturing the vaccine, and have been, without knowing whether it would work, how well, whether it is safe, and whether it would win approval.
That's a remarkable leap for those companies (others are doing the same).
That's a remarkable leap for those companies (others are doing the same).
9/ BioNTech, in fact, bought a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility from Novartis, in Germany, to expand its ability to make the vaccine.
wsj.com/articles/pfize…
wsj.com/articles/pfize…
10/ One more clarification:
Pfizer says this morning that no safety concerns have been observed among the people in the trial at this point.
More data is expected to be available in two weeks — the 3rd week in November.
Pfizer says this morning that no safety concerns have been observed among the people in the trial at this point.
More data is expected to be available in two weeks — the 3rd week in November.
11/ Also not clear, of course: How long the protection from the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine lasts.
^ ^ ^
How is the manufacturing going?
This particular vaccine requires 2 doses.
@statnews says '50 million doses' will be available by the end of this year — enough for 25m people.
^ ^ ^
How is the manufacturing going?
This particular vaccine requires 2 doses.
@statnews says '50 million doses' will be available by the end of this year — enough for 25m people.
12/ Pfizer/BioNTech have said that another 1.7 billion doses would be available next year — enough for 850 million people.
These vaccines are hard & expensive to make. That would be making vaccine at a rate of 4.6 million doses a day.
These vaccines are hard & expensive to make. That would be making vaccine at a rate of 4.6 million doses a day.
13/ Below is @WSJ story for those who can access it.
Great detail on how this vaccine works.
This is one of the new class of vaccines relying on messenger RNA to trigger an immune response in people.
wsj.com/articles/pfize…
Great detail on how this vaccine works.
This is one of the new class of vaccines relying on messenger RNA to trigger an immune response in people.
wsj.com/articles/pfize…
14/ The US government already has an agreement to purchase 100 million doses (50 million people) of this Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for $2 billion — $20 a dose.
With the option to purchase an additional 500 million doses — which would be enough for almost the entire country.
With the option to purchase an additional 500 million doses — which would be enough for almost the entire country.
15/ Below, press release about the agreement with the US gov't for early purchase of the vaccine.
Not clear how Pfizer/BioNTech decide how the first 50 million doses is divided up—or next year's 1.7 billion doses, for that matter.
US won't get them all.
pfizer.com/news/press-rel…
Not clear how Pfizer/BioNTech decide how the first 50 million doses is divided up—or next year's 1.7 billion doses, for that matter.
US won't get them all.
pfizer.com/news/press-rel…
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