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Topline
Scott Gottlieb, a Pfizer board member who served as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration from 2017 to 2019, has confirmed reports that the Trump administration turned down the opportunity to purchase more doses of its promising Covid-19 vaccine. , saying the company gave the administration “multiple” possibilities to increase its order, even as recently as after the publication of the first data from trials that showed the vaccine to be highly effective in preventing disease.
Scott Gottlieb, who is on the Pfizer board, confirmed reports that the Trump administration … [+]
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Key facts
While the US already has an option agreement with Pfizer to buy 100 million doses of the vaccine it developed with BioNTech if it is approved by the FDA, which may happen this week, Gottlieb said on CNBC’s Squawk Box that the company repeatedly gave the administration the opportunity to opt for an additional 100 million doses.
Confirming previous reports from the New York Times Y Forbes, and refuting the denials of the White House, Gottlieb said that these proposals were rejected, and the company went on to make other arrangements with different countries.
While the US government is now negotiating with the pharmaceutical giant for more doses of the vaccine, which is already being administered in the UK, it is unlikely that it will receive any before the summer of 2021 while the company complies with its obligations to other countries, and Gottlieb said its now much talk of second-quarter production.
Gottlieb said he hopes the Trump administration is “betting that more than one vaccine will be licensed,” pointing to several other similar-sized deals with several different companies.
Key Background
After Trump’s boasting and rejoicing over the successes of Operation Warp Speed, his administration’s project to rapidly track a Covid-19 vaccine, the failure of sufficient vaccine option, even after promising results initials, is puzzling. It will also short the US: 100 million doses, while significant, are only enough to immunize 50 million people, and with just one other vaccine in the regulatory stage of development in the US, Developed by Moderna. , it is almost certain that the supply will exceed the demand. as vaccination programs are launched.
Tangent
The UK, which approved Pfizer’s vaccine last Wednesday, embarked on its largest vaccination campaign on Tuesday and began administering the vaccine to hospital patients over 80 years of age in an operation that officials dubbed “V-Day. “.
Other readings
Here’s why the UK beat the US to approve a Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use (Forbes)
The US refused to buy more doses of the Pfizer Covid vaccine, even after provisional data, says board member Gottlieb (CNBC)
Trump administration officials approved when Pfizer offered months ago to sell more doses of vaccines to the United States. (NYT)
The United States has asked for enough of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for 50 million people, but that’s it (Forbes)
Trump wants to go down in history as the man who ended Covid-19, stating that the success of the Modern vaccine is his (Forbes)
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