Pfizer shares are up 3.18% on Wednesday, as the company pleased investors and encouraging new details about the success of clinical trials of its vaccine against coronavirus. All 24 volunteers who received two injections, observed a “strong immune response” to the virus.
Growth of stocks of U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer (PFE) and its partner German biotech BioNTech became one of the significant factors of the growth of the S&P 500 index on Wednesday.
Pfizer and BioNTech reported that one of their four experimental vaccines against COVID-19 – BNT162b1 – during the research phase ½ showed the formation of a “strong immune response” (the body appeared neutralizing antibodies that prevent infection) all patients seven days after the second dose of vaccine.
Pfizer and BioNTech has begun clinical trials in humans in April with four different samples of the vaccine at the same time.
The research included the testing of vaccines on a small number of volunteers, a total of 45 healthy adults aged 18 to 55 years, and 24 of them received two injections with two different doses of the experimental vaccine – this group revealed the highest antibody levels.
According to a press release obtained the level of antibodies higher than the average level of antibodies in people who recover COVID-19. This suggests that the vaccine candidate provides high level of protection from disease.
“These first results of the tests show that the vaccine induces immune activity and triggers a strong immune response,” said co-founder and CEO of BioNTech Ugur Sahin.
At the same time, the studies found no serious side effects in patients. Individual cases was limited to pain at the injection site and slight increase in temperature after the second injection. One of the patients who received a single high dose, he experienced severe pain when receiving the injection.
Dr. Kathrin Jansen, head of research and development of vaccines at Pfizer said that the company “is encouraged by preliminary results of clinical trials BNT162b1” and “looking forward to the publication of clinical data in peer-reviewed journal as soon as possible”.
The company announced plans to produce up to 100 million doses of vaccine by the end of this year and, perhaps, more than 1.2 billion doses by the end of 2021, if more extensive clinical trials will confirm the effectiveness of the vaccine and the regulatory authorities give permission. The companies will jointly distribute the product worldwide, except China, where BioNTech has the collaboration with Fosun Pharma.
Pfizer and BioNTech are going to start a global wide clinical trials of the vaccine (about 30 000 participants) at the end of July, expectations of regulatory approval.
Currently BNT162b1 also passes scientific peer review.
Competition
On the development of treatments and vaccines against the new virus employs more than hundreds of pharmaceutical companies and universities around the world. Of the ten leaders whose vaccine candidates COVID-19 are at the stage of clinical trials, Marketinfo.pro wrote in the article “a Clinical trial of a vaccine Novavax against COVID-19 add hope for an end to the pandemic.”
Among the competitors Pfizer and BioNTech: American company Moderna Inc. and Inovio Pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca Plc, British, Chinese CanSino Biologics and others.
AstraZeneca in partnership with the University of Oxford has recently shifted to the broader clinical testing of its vaccine on tens of thousands of volunteers. Publication of the preliminary survey data, according to AstraZeneca, is expected in the near future.
Last week chief researcher of the world health organization said that a vaccine AstraZeneca is probably the leading candidate in the world and the most advanced from the point of view of development.
Statement
Management under the control over products and medicines USA (FDA) on Tuesday said it has no plans to relax the requirements for approval of vaccines in any way because of the urgent needs during a pandemic COVID-19.
The statement “smashed expectations” of investors some farm.companies that were pending approval of some vaccines at the end of this year, thanks to the simplified procedure of approval of the vaccine from the FDA.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the task force of the President of Donald trump in the fight against the pandemic and the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and infectious diseases, said on Tuesday: “we are cautiously optimistic looking at the preliminary research data. Now we at least know the degree of effectiveness of the vaccine this winter or early next year.”
