Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine found 90% effective in preventing Covid-19

Pfizer and BioNTech expect to seek U.S. authorization this month for emergency use of their vaccine.

A vaccine developed by US-based pharmaceutical major Pfizer and German biotech firm BioNTech may be the solution to the ongoing pandemic that has killed over 1.2 million people worldwide. The experimental vaccine was found to be more than 90 per cent effective in preventing COVID-19 with no serious safety concerns in the first interim analysis of data from late-stage Phase 3 trial, the companies said on Monday.

Reuters reported that Pfizer and BioNTech are the first drugmakers to release successful data from a large-scale clinical trial of a coronavirus vaccine. The companies expect to seek U.S. authorization this month for emergency use of the vaccine, the news agency said.

A great day for science and humanity

Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla hailed the development calling it "a great day for science and humanity."

"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," Reuters quoted him as saying.

Bourla added that they are closer to providing people around the world with a much-needed breakthrough to help bring an end to this global health crisis.

BioNTech co-founder and CEO Ugur Sahin pointed out that the initial results of their Phase 3 Covid-19 vaccine trial provide evidence that a vaccine may effectively prevent Covid-19. He called it "a victory for innovation, science and a global collaborative effort." He is also optimistic that the immunisation effect of the vaccine would last for a year.

Protection achieved after second dose

Pfizer-BioNTech's mRNA-based vaccine candidate, BNT162b2, was found effective against Covid-19 in participants without prior evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The analysis of data from late-stage Phase 3 trial was conducted on Sunday by an external, independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC).

The vaccine achieved efficacy rate above 90 per cent at seven days after the second dose (28 days after the initiation of the vaccination), according to the companies.

The Phase 3 clinical trial of the vaccine, which began on July 27, has so far enrolled 43,538 participants. Of these 38,955 have received a second dose of the vaccine, as on November 8.

The trial will include more volunteers and see if the vaccine can also provide protection to those who have had prior exposure to SARS-CoV-2, as well as its effectiveness against severe illness.

50 million vaccine doses expected this year

To seek U.S. authorization for emergency use of the vaccine, the companies may need to provide two months of safety data from about half of the study participants, which is expected by the third week of November.

Pfizer and BioNTech have already signed a $1.95 billion contract with the U.S. government to deliver 100 million vaccine doses. They have also reached supply agreements with the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan, as per Reuters.

Pfizer and BioNTech expect to produce up to 50 million vaccine doses this year and up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021.