Foreign Property News | Posted by Aye Myat Thu
Final results from Pfize's Covid-19 vaccine trial showed its shot had a 95 per cent success rate and two months of safety data, paving the way for the drugmaker to apply for an emergency US authorisation within days, it said on Wednesday (Nov 18).
The vaccine's efficacy rate, the highest of any candidate in late-stage clinical trials so far, was welcomed by experts who had already said that interim results showing Pfizer's shot was over 90 per cent effective were very encouraging.
Pfizer said there were 170 cases of Covid-19 in its trial of more than 43,000 volunteers and only eight people with the disease had been given the shot rather than a placebo, meaning the vaccine had a 95 per cent efficacy rate.
Of the 10 people who developed severe Covid-19, one had received the vaccine.
"The data is very strong," said Dr Ian Jones, a professor of virology at Britain's University of Reading.
"It's looking like a real contender."Pfizer said it expected the US Food and Drug Administration's vaccine advisory committee to review and discuss the data in a public meeting that will likely be held in December.
"We continue to move at the speed of science, and we know that every day matters in our path to authorisation," Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla said.
The final analysis comes just a week after initial results from the trial showed the vaccine, developed with German partner BioNTech, was more than 90 per cent effective.
Moderna on Monday released preliminary data for its vaccine, showing 94.5 per cent effectiveness. The better-than-expected results from the two vaccines, both developed with new messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, have raised hopes for an end to a pandemic that has killed more than 1.3 million people and wreaked havoc upon economies and daily life.
However, while some groups such as healthcare workers will be prioritised in the United States for vaccinations this year, it will be months before large-scale rollouts begin.
THE MOST VULNERABLEDistribution of a Pfizer shot is complicated by the need to store it at ultra-cold temperatures of -70°C. It can, however, be kept in a normal fridge for up to five days, or up to 15 days in a thermal shipping box.
Pfizer said the efficacy of the vaccine was consistent across different age and ethnic groups, a sign that the immunisation could be employed broadly around the world.
Efficacy in adults over 65 years, who are at particular risk from the virus, was over 94 per cent."The 94 per cent protection for older people is key. This is the evidence we needed to ensure that the most vulnerable people are protected," said Dr Andrew Hill, senior visiting research fellow at the University of Liverpool's department of pharmacology.
Equity markets strengthened slightly on the Pfizer news. Europe's STOXX 600 and the US S&P 500 futures both rose about 0.3 per cent to hit highs for the day.
The moves were small, however, compared with the jump when Pfizer first announced the vaccine was more than 90 per cent effective on Nov 9.Pfizer shares rose three per cent in premarket trade while BioNTech's US-listed shares jumped eight per cent.
MILD SIDE EFFECTS
Pfizer said its two-dose vaccine, BNT162b2, was well-tolerated and that side effects were mostly mild to moderate, and cleared up quickly.
Ref: todayonline
