As the world races to develop and produce an effective vaccine that would be able to protect masses of people against the Coronavirus disease, that continues to wreak havoc in the global economy, pharmaceutical companies around the world are releasing their statements on when is the most possible time that people would be vaccinated or at least, the vaccines could be released.
The United States government placed an initial amount of nearly $2 billion dollars for at least 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine to a U.S. pharmaceutical company, Pfizer.
Pfizer is currently developing a Covid-19 vaccine together with BioNTech as they remain on track, running through a series of anticipated phases, and by the end of July, they'd start their efficacy trial. As of July 27, the two companies have started a large study of vaccine candidates. But not the one for which results were released earlier this month.
Earlier this month, the two companies announced some results in a preprint publication, and it appears that one vaccine candidate prompted an immune response. The vaccine consists of key portions in fight of the SARS-CoV-2, that should lead to "more consistent responses across diverse populations and in older adults," Pfizer said in a statement.
The Vice President in charge of vaccines at Pfizer, Dr. Philip Dormitizer, M.D., said that the new vaccine generated an even more positive response. Mr. Dormitizer also said that the vaccine's side effects "seemed a bit milder."
"Depending on success in clinical trials, today's agreement will enable the delivery of approximately 100 million doses of this vaccine to the American people," Pfizer added.
Meanwhile, the co-founder of tech giant Microsoft, Bill Gates, said that a pharmaceutical company based in South Korea, which he backed, can produce at least two hundred million (200M) doses of Covid-19 vaccine by the next summer.
Mr. Gates is closely cooperating with the President of South Korea, wherein they spoke through a phone call to further strengthen their coordination of developing an effective Covid-19 vaccine.
The company, SK Bioscience, received $3.6 million from Mr. Gates' foundation, to further accelerate the development of Covid-19 vaccines. Besides working on its own vaccine candidates, the company is also one of the contract manufacturers tapped by AstraZeneca Plc to make its vaccine.
Hundred million doses may sound a lot, although Mr. Gates also said earlier this month that a single dose may no longer work these days. He said that multiple doses of Covid-19 vaccines could be necessary in order to fully prevent the Coronavirus disease.
Pfizer, BioNTech and SK Bioscience, are just three within hundreds of companies and academic labs that are currently racing to develop and produce millions of doses of vaccines to fight against havoc-wreaking Covid-19, and prevent more people from getting infected and finally get economic relief, worldwide.
