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Covid-19 vaccine 90% effective in Phase 3 trial, says US pharma giant Pfizer
Protection in patients was achieved seven days after the second of two doses, and 28 days after the first, according to preliminary findings.
The vaccine against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), which is being developed by US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and German biotech firm BioNTech, is 90% effective in preventing infections in the ongoing Phase 3 trials, Pfizer announced on Monday.
“The first set of results from our Phase 3 Covid-19 vaccine trial provides the initial evidence of our vaccine’s ability to prevent Covid-19,” Pfizer’s chairperson and CEO Albert Bourla said. “We are a significant step closer to providing people around the world with a much-needed breakthrough to help bring an end to this global health crisis,” Bourla added.
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Protection in patients was achieved seven days after the second of two doses, and 28 days after the first, according to preliminary findings. The findings are based on an interim analysis conducted after 94 participants contracted the illness. The trial will continue until 164 cases have occurred. The preliminary results pave the way for the companies to seek an emergency-use authorization from regulators if further research shows the shot is also safe.
Based on supply projections, the companies are expecting to supply 50 million vaccine doses globally by the end of this year. Up to 1.3 billion doses will be supplied in 2021.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump hailed the announcement as “such great news”.
“Stock market up big, vaccine coming soon. Report 90% effective. Such great news!” Trump tweeted.
Since its outbreak last year, the coronavirus disease has wreaked havoc in the world and the global cases exceeded 50 million in a grim milestone on Monday. While the death toll is over 1,255,000.
