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The vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech against COVID-19 is 90% effective in preventing infection with the new coronavirus in humans, according to SkyNews and Bloomberg.
The third phase of Pfizer’s clinical trials (large-scale efficacy and safety tests) involved 43,538 injected participants. They received two doses of immunizer or two doses of placebo, and 90% of the participants were protected from the virus within 28 days of the injection.
“Today is a great day for science and humanity. The first set of results from the COVD-19 vaccine phase 3 trial provides initial evidence of the vaccine’s ability to prevent COVID-19,” said Albert Bourla , President and CEO of Pfizer.
“With this news, we are one step closer to making the much-needed discovery for people around the world to help end this global health crisis,” he added.
The results pave the way for companies to obtain an emergency clearance from US regulators if further research shows the vaccine is safe.
Although some questions remain, the important message is that Pfizer and BioNTech are on track to be the first vaccine manufacturers, after signing advance agreements with governments around the world to administer hundreds of thousands of doses. It is also a good sign for other experimental vaccines, especially the one developed by Moderna, which uses similar technology.
The resumption of testing in the final stages of a vaccine at AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, in addition to the resumption of separate testing by Johnson & Johnson, offers some more hope.
Potential treatments have run into roadblocks, and Eli Lilly’s company is currently halting enrollment in an antibody therapy study.
Pharmaceutical manufacturers have vowed to maintain scientific rigor to find a way to solve the coronavirus crisis.
Editing: Alexandru Costea
