[ad_1]
Mainz-based pharmaceutical company Biontech and its US partner Pfizer can report a breakthrough: a corona vaccine has proven extremely effective in clinical trials. US approval will follow soon.
For the first time, there are interim results from the study phase of a corona vaccine, which is relevant for Europe. It is crucial for approval. The Mainz company Biontech and the pharmaceutical company Pfizer announced that their vaccine offers more than 90 percent protection against Covid-19 disease.
During the tests, “no serious safety issues were reported,” the companies said. They want to continue the study as planned to collect additional “safety and efficacy data.” First, the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” reported on the advance.
“Protection after the second injection”
The BNT162b2 vaccine had been developed by Biontech in the “Lightspeed” project since mid-January. The phase 3 study, crucial for its approval, began in several countries in late July. More than 43,500 people have received at least one of the two vaccines, which are administered every three weeks.
According to the manufacturer, protection by vaccination is achieved one week after the second injection. In the study, a total of 94 cases of the disease were confirmed as of Sunday. According to the information, the results will only be finally evaluated when a total of 164 cases is reached. In addition, it will be verified to what extent the vaccine not only protects against Covid-19, but also against the serious courses of the disease. In general, both the protective effect and the side effects should be observed over a period of two years.
50 million cans by 2020
Biontech and pharmaceutical giant Pfizer are expected to apply for approval from the US FDA starting next week. The companies hope to distribute up to 50 million doses of vaccines worldwide this year. They estimate up to 1.3 billion cans next year.
Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn welcomes Biontech’s announcement. You are pleased that a German company is ready. But since the federal government does not want to make false promises and there can always be setbacks in vaccine development, one is more cautious about the fact that a vaccine will not be available until the first quarter of 2021, says the CDU politician.
