American drug maker Pfizer has claimed that a COVID-19 vaccine could be ready by October end, this year. The pharmaceutical company is currently conducting clinical trials for several possible vaccines in collaboration with German Firm Biotech in Europe and the United States. Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer Dr. Albert Bourla said, “If things go well, and the stars are aligned, we will have enough evidence of safety and efficacy so that we can have a vaccine around the end of October.”
Also, UK drug firm AstraZeneca, in partnership with University of Oxford, is working to develop a vaccine and expects at least one could be ready by the end of 2020. Head of AstraZeneca, Pascal Soriot in a statement mentioned, “Many people hope that we will have a vaccine, hopefully several, by the end of this year.” Soriot also quoted that one of the concerns in developing a vaccine was the drop in transmission rates as it would be difficult to properly carry out clinical trials of the COVID-19 vaccine in a natural setting.
AstraZeneca has signed up to deliver 400 million doses through its initial supply agreements. It takes years for a new vaccine to be licensed and available for general use, but in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, experimental vaccines rolled out as safe and effective against the novel coronavirus are likely win approval for emergency use.
Across the world, several pharmaceutical companies and medical institutions are racing to develop COVID-19 vaccine ever since the pandemic outbreak in December last year in China. More than 100 labs are working to develop a vaccine against the life-threatening virus. Out of which ten have reached to the clinical stage trial.
