/https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5fb7bff7b7682424882572db/0x0.jpg?cropX1=0&cropX2=4958&cropY1=251&cropY2=3041&w=1200&resize=1200,675&ssl=1 "Pfizer, BioNTech To Seek Emergency Approval For Covid-19 Vaccine On Friday")
Updated Nov 20, 2020, 08:13am EST
Topline
Pfizer and BioNTech will apply for emergency regulatory approval in the U.S. Friday for their Covid-19 vaccine—as the companies announced they would earlier this week—days after a clinical trial showed the vaccine to be 95% effective at preventing the disease.
Albert Bourla, chief executive officer of Pfizer
Getty Images
Key Facts
This is the first time a company has sought regulatory approval for a Covid-19 vaccine which, if approved, will mark the first time a vaccine built using mRNA technology has made it to market.
The application comes days after the companies announced a 95% efficacy rate for the vaccine based on an extensive Phase 3 clinical trial involving more than 40,000 volunteers.
The results show the highest efficacy rate of any late-stage Covid-19 vaccine in development — far higher than the 50% U.S. regulators had been willing to accept — and the companies report “no serious safety concerns” with the vaccine.
Further Reading
Pfizer-BioNTech Says Covid-19 Vaccine Is 95% Effective, Will Seek Emergency Approval Friday (Forbes)
I am a London-based reporter for Forbes covering breaking news. Previously, I have worked as a reporter for a specialist legal publication covering big data and as a
…
I am a London-based reporter for Forbes covering breaking news. Previously, I have worked as a reporter for a specialist legal publication covering big data and as a freelance journalist and policy analyst covering science, tech and health. I have a master’s degree in Biological Natural Sciences and a master’s degree in the History and Philosophy of Science from the University of Cambridge. Follow me on Twitter @theroberthart or email me at rhart@forbes.com
/https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5fb7bff7b7682424882572db/0x0.jpg?cropX1=0&cropX2=4958&cropY1=251&cropY2=3041&w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1&description=Pfizer%2C+BioNTech+To+Seek+Emergency+Approval+For+Covid-19+Vaccine+On+Friday){kind=link}