US President Donald Trump on Monday accused the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Pfizer of withholding the announcement on the COVID-19 vaccine before elections to prevent him from getting a "vaccine win".

The US Food and Drug Administration "and the Democrats didn't want to have me get a Vaccine WIN, prior to the election, so instead, it came out five days later? As I've said all along!" Trump said in a tweet.

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The <a href="https://twitter.com/US_FDA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@US_FDA</a> and the Democrats didn’t want to have me get a Vaccine WIN, prior to the election, so instead it came out five days later – As I’ve said all along!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1325962203346972678?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Earlier, pharma major Pfizer announced that its vaccine, as per preliminary estimates, has been found to be 90 per cent effective in preventing COVID-19.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pfizer-biontech-claim-their-coronavirus-vaccine-is-90-effective-341931" hreflang="en">Pfizer, BioNTech claim their coronavirus vaccine is 90% effective</a>

Pfizer said that the vaccine candidate was found to be more than 90 per cent effective in preventing COVID-19 in participants without evidence of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection in the first interim efficacy analysis. Analysis evaluated 94 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in trial participants, it said.

Trump alleged, "If Joe Biden were President, you wouldn't have the Vaccine for another four years, nor would the @US_FDA have ever approved it so quickly. The bureaucracy would have destroyed millions of lives!" 
Previously, Trump had said that he worked on removing a large number of bureaucratic obstacles to fast-track development and approval of a vaccine.

"As I have long said, @Pfizer and the others would only announce a Vaccine after the Election, because they didn't have the courage to do it before. Likewise, the @US_FDA should have announced it earlier, not for political purposes, but for saving lives!" he tweeted. 
Earlier in the day, President-elect Joe Biden said the announcement promises the chance to change that next year, but the tasks before them now remain the same.

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As I have long said, <a href="https://twitter.com/pfizer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Pfizer</a> and the others would only announce a Vaccine after the Election, because they didn’t have the courage to do it before. Likewise, the <a href="https://twitter.com/US_FDA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@US_FDA</a> should have announced it earlier, not for political purposes, but for saving lives!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1325961445062938625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
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"I congratulate the brilliant women and men who helped produce this breakthrough and to give us such cause for hope," he said. "At the same time, it is also important to understand that the end of the battle against COVID-19 is still months away," Biden said.

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Statement by President-elect Biden on Pfizer's vaccine progress: <a href="https://t.co/eOiLZnqO8N">pic.twitter.com/eOiLZnqO8N</a>
— Biden-Harris Presidential Transition (@Transition46) <a href="https://twitter.com/Transition46/status/1325816759690129412?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2020</a></blockquote>
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that the world welcomes good news about a vaccine that could be a giant leap forward in the fight against the coronavirus.

"We are all praying that this early evidence of extraordinary efficacy and safety holds true so that the vaccine can be approved and distributed soon but not one day sooner or one day later than it is ready," she said.

US President Donald Trump on Monday accused the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Pfizer of withholding the announcement on the COVID-19 vaccine before elections to prevent him from getting a "vaccine win".

US President Donald Trump on Monday accused the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Pfizer of withholding the announcement on the COVID-19 vaccine before elections to prevent him from getting a "vaccine win". The US Food and Drug Administration "and the Democrats didn't want to have me get a Vaccine WIN, prior to the election, so instead, it came out five days later? As I've said all along!" Trump said in a tweet. The @US_FDA and the Democrats didn’t want to have me get a Vaccine WIN, prior to the election, so instead it came out five days later – As I’ve said all along! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 10, 2020 × Earlier, pharma major Pfizer announced that its vaccine, as per preliminary estimates, has been found to be 90 per cent effective in preventing COVID-19. Also read: Pfizer, BioNTech claim their coronavirus vaccine is 90% effective Pfizer said that the vaccine candidate was found to be more than 90 per cent effective in preventing COVID-19 in participants without evidence of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection in the first interim efficacy analysis. Analysis evaluated 94 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in trial participants, it said. Trump alleged, "If Joe Biden were President, you wouldn't have the Vaccine for another four years, nor would the @US_FDA have ever approved it so quickly. The bureaucracy would have destroyed millions of lives!" Previously, Trump had said that he worked on removing a large number of bureaucratic obstacles to fast-track development and approval of a vaccine. "As I have long said, @Pfizer and the others would only announce a Vaccine after the Election, because they didn't have the courage to do it before. Likewise, the @US_FDA should have announced it earlier, not for political purposes, but for saving lives!" he tweeted. Earlier in the day, President-elect Joe Biden said the announcement promises the chance to change that next year, but the tasks before them now remain the same. As I have long said, @Pfizer and the others would only announce a Vaccine after the Election, because they didn’t have the courage to do it before. Likewise, the @US_FDA should have announced it earlier, not for political purposes, but for saving lives! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 10, 2020 × "I congratulate the brilliant women and men who helped produce this breakthrough and to give us such cause for hope," he said. "At the same time, it is also important to understand that the end of the battle against COVID-19 is still months away," Biden said. Statement by President-elect Biden on Pfizer's vaccine progress: pic.twitter.com/eOiLZnqO8N — Biden-Harris Presidential Transition (@Transition46) November 9, 2020 × House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that the world welcomes good news about a vaccine that could be a giant leap forward in the fight against the coronavirus. "We are all praying that this early evidence of extraordinary efficacy and safety holds true so that the vaccine can be approved and distributed soon but not one day sooner or one day later than it is ready," she said.

Trump accuses FDA and Pfizer of withholding COVID-19 vaccine announcement before elections

Pfizer Inc said on Monday its experimental COVID-19 vaccine was more than 90% effective, a major victory in the fight against a pandemic that has killed more than a million people, battered the world's economy and upended daily life.

Pfizer and German partner BioNTech SE are the first drugmakers to release successful data from a large-scale clinical trial of a coronavirus vaccine. The companies said they have so far found no serious safety concerns and expect to seek US&nbsp;authorization this month for emergency use of the vaccine.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/study-finds-europe-responsible-for-spreading-coronavirus-as-cases-cross-12-million-341355" hreflang="en">Study finds Europe responsible for spreading coronavirus as cases cross 12 million</a>

If authorized, the number of doses will initially be limited and many questions remain, including how long the vaccine will provide protection. However, the news provides hope that other COVID-19 vaccines in development may also prove effective.

"Today is a great day for science and humanity," Albert Bourla, Pfizer's chairman and chief executive, said.

"We are reaching this critical milestone in our vaccine development program at a time when the world needs it most with infection rates setting new records, hospitals nearing over-capacity and economies struggling to reopen."

Pfizer expects to seek broad U.S. authorization for emergency use of the vaccine for people aged 16 to 85. To do so, it will need two months of safety data from about half the study's 44,000 participants, which his expected late this month.

The MSCI index of world stock markets hit a record high following the announcement. Pfizer shares were indicated 6% higher in New York, while BioNTech's U.S. stock leapt 18%.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/unga-to-hold-special-session-on-coronavirus-pandemic-in-december-341050" hreflang="en">UNGA to hold special session on coronavirus pandemic in December</a>

Shares of other COVID-19 vaccine developers that are in the final stage of testing also reacted with AstraZeneca rising 0.5% in London while Johnson &amp; Johnson gained 2.6% in pre-market trading and Moderna down 1.8% ahead of the U.S. bell.

"I'm near ecstatic," Bill Gruber, one of Pfizer's top vaccine scientists, said in an interview. "This is a great day for public health and for the potential to get us all out of the circumstances we're now in."

1.3 BILLION DOSES

Pfizer and BioNTech have a $1.95 billion contract with the U.S. government to deliver 100 million vaccine doses beginning this year. They have also reached supply agreements with the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan.

To save time, the companies began manufacturing the vaccine before they knew whether it would be effective. They now expect to produce up to 50 million doses, or enough to protect 25 million people this year.

Pfizer said it expects to produce up to 1.3 billion doses of the vaccine in 2021.

The U.S. pharmaceutical giant said the interim analysis was conducted after 94 participants in the trial developed COVID-19, examining how many of them had received the vaccine versus a placebo.

The company did not break down exactly how many of those who fell ill received the vaccine. Still, over 90% effectiveness implies that no more than 8 of the 94 people who caught COVID-19 had been given the vaccine, which was administered in two shots about three weeks apart.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/new-study-explains-long-covid-or-persistence-of-coronavirus-symptoms-340789" hreflang="en">New study explains 'long COVID', or persistence of coronavirus symptoms</a>

The efficacy rate is well above the 50% effectiveness required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a coronavirus vaccine.

To confirm the efficacy rate, Pfizer said it would continue the trial until there are 164 COVID-19 cases among participants. Given the recent spike in U.S. infection rates, that number could be reached by early December, Gruber said.

The data have yet to be peer-reviewed or published in a medical journal. Pfizer said it would do so once it has results from the entire trial.

GLOBAL RACE

The global race for a vaccine has seen wealthier countries forge multibillion-dollar supply deals with drugmakers like Pfizer, AstraZeneca Plc and Johnson &amp; Johnson, raising questions over when middle income and poorer nations will get access to inoculations.

The U.S. quest for a vaccine has been the Trump administration's central response to the pandemic. The United States has the world's highest known number of COVID-19 cases and deaths with more than 10 million infections and over 237,000 fatalities.

President Donald Trump repeatedly assured the public that his administration would likely identify a successful vaccine in time for the presidential election, held last Tuesday. On Saturday, Democratic rival Joe Biden was declared the winner.

Vaccines are seen as essential tools to help end the health crisis that has shuttered businesses and left millions out of work. Millions of children whose schools were closed in March remain in remote learning programs.

Dozens of drugmakers and research groups around the globe have been racing to develop vaccines against COVID-19, which on Sunday exceeded 50 million infections since the new coronavirus first emerged late last year in China.

The Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine uses messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, which relies on synthetic genes that can be generated and manufactured in weeks, and produced at scale more rapidly than conventional vaccines.

Moderna Inc, whose vaccine candidate employs similar technology, is expected to report results from its large-scale trial later this month.

The mRNA technology is designed to trigger an immune response without using pathogens, such as actual virus particles.

Pfizer alone will not have the capacity to immediately provide enough vaccines for the United States. The Trump administration has said it will have enough supply for all of the 330 million U.S. residents who wish to be vaccinated by the middle of 2021.

The U.S. government has said the vaccines will be provided free to Americans, including the insured, uninsured and those in government health programs such as Medicare.

Pfizer Inc said on Monday its experimental COVID-19 vaccine was more than 90% effective, a major victory in the fight against a pandemic that has killed more than a million people, battered the world's economy and upended daily life.

Pfizer Inc said on Monday its experimental COVID-19 vaccine was more than 90% effective, a major victory in the fight against a pandemic that has killed more than a million people, battered the world's economy and upended daily life. Pfizer and German partner BioNTech SE are the first drugmakers to release successful data from a large-scale clinical trial of a coronavirus vaccine. The companies said they have so far found no serious safety concerns and expect to seek US authorization this month for emergency use of the vaccine. Also read: Study finds Europe responsible for spreading coronavirus as cases cross 12 million If authorized, the number of doses will initially be limited and many questions remain, including how long the vaccine will provide protection. However, the news provides hope that other COVID-19 vaccines in development may also prove effective. "Today is a great day for science and humanity," Albert Bourla, Pfizer's chairman and chief executive, said. "We are reaching this critical milestone in our vaccine development program at a time when the world needs it most with infection rates setting new records, hospitals nearing over-capacity and economies struggling to reopen." Pfizer expects to seek broad U.S. authorization for emergency use of the vaccine for people aged 16 to 85. To do so, it will need two months of safety data from about half the study's 44,000 participants, which his expected late this month. The MSCI index of world stock markets hit a record high following the announcement. Pfizer shares were indicated 6% higher in New York, while BioNTech's U.S. stock leapt 18%. Also read: UNGA to hold special session on coronavirus pandemic in December Shares of other COVID-19 vaccine developers that are in the final stage of testing also reacted with AstraZeneca rising 0.5% in London while Johnson & Johnson gained 2.6% in pre-market trading and Moderna down 1.8% ahead of the U.S. bell. "I'm near ecstatic," Bill Gruber, one of Pfizer's top vaccine scientists, said in an interview. "This is a great day for public health and for the potential to get us all out of the circumstances we're now in." 1.3 BILLION DOSES Pfizer and BioNTech have a $1.95 billion contract with the U.S. government to deliver 100 million vaccine doses beginning this year. They have also reached supply agreements with the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan. To save time, the companies began manufacturing the vaccine before they knew whether it would be effective. They now expect to produce up to 50 million doses, or enough to protect 25 million people this year. Pfizer said it expects to produce up to 1.3 billion doses of the vaccine in 2021. The U.S. pharmaceutical giant said the interim analysis was conducted after 94 participants in the trial developed COVID-19, examining how many of them had received the vaccine versus a placebo. The company did not break down exactly how many of those who fell ill received the vaccine. Still, over 90% effectiveness implies that no more than 8 of the 94 people who caught COVID-19 had been given the vaccine, which was administered in two shots about three weeks apart. Also read: New study explains 'long COVID', or persistence of coronavirus symptoms The efficacy rate is well above the 50% effectiveness required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a coronavirus vaccine. To confirm the efficacy rate, Pfizer said it would continue the trial until there are 164 COVID-19 cases among participants. Given the recent spike in U.S. infection rates, that number could be reached by early December, Gruber said. The data have yet to be peer-reviewed or published in a medical journal. Pfizer said it would do so once it has results from the entire trial. GLOBAL RACE The global race for a vaccine has seen wealthier countries forge multibillion-dollar supply deals with drugmakers like Pfizer, AstraZeneca Plc and Johnson & Johnson, raising questions over when middle income and poorer nations will get access to inoculations. The U.S. quest for a vaccine has been the Trump administration's central response to the pandemic. The United States has the world's highest known number of COVID-19 cases and deaths with more than 10 million infections and over 237,000 fatalities. President Donald Trump repeatedly assured the public that his administration would likely identify a successful vaccine in time for the presidential election, held last Tuesday. On Saturday, Democratic rival Joe Biden was declared the winner. Vaccines are seen as essential tools to help end the health crisis that has shuttered businesses and left millions out of work. Millions of children whose schools were closed in March remain in remote learning programs. Dozens of drugmakers and research groups around the globe have been racing to develop vaccines against COVID-19, which on Sunday exceeded 50 million infections since the new coronavirus first emerged late last year in China. The Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine uses messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, which relies on synthetic genes that can be generated and manufactured in weeks, and produced at scale more rapidly than conventional vaccines. Moderna Inc, whose vaccine candidate employs similar technology, is expected to report results from its large-scale trial later this month. The mRNA technology is designed to trigger an immune response without using pathogens, such as actual virus particles. Pfizer alone will not have the capacity to immediately provide enough vaccines for the United States. The Trump administration has said it will have enough supply for all of the 330 million U.S. residents who wish to be vaccinated by the middle of 2021. The U.S. government has said the vaccines will be provided free to Americans, including the insured, uninsured and those in government health programs such as Medicare.

Pfizer, BioNTech claim their coronavirus vaccine is 90% effective

US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer is planning to file for emergency use authorisation for its Covid-19 vaccine in late November -- two weeks after the November 3 US presidential election.

The company said it hopes to move ahead with the vaccine after safety data is available in the third week of November, immediately lifting the company's shares two percent in the US.

"So let me be clear, assuming positive data, Pfizer will apply for Emergency Authorization Use in the US soon after the safety milestone is achieved in the third week of November,"&nbsp;the company's chairman and CEO Albert Bourla said in an open letter.

The announcement means the United States could have two vaccines ready by the end of the year, with Massachussetts biotech firm Moderna aiming for November 25 to seek authorization.&nbsp;

The United States' Food and Drug Administration (FDA)&nbsp;asked vaccine developers last week to spend two months monitoring for serious side effects after the second dose is given to trial participants.

The FDA will require the vaccine to prove effective and safe, while Pfizer will have to demonstrate it is capable of producing large scale production.&nbsp;

Pfizer and Modern, both funded by the US government, launched Phase 3 of their clinical trials at the end of July, and both have started production of doses.

They aim to be in a position to deliver tens of millions of doses to the US by the end of the year.

Bourla said the Pfizer trial, involving 30,000 participants, might produce results on the vaccine's efficacy within the next two weeks.&nbsp;

Pfizer, which is partnering with German company BioNTech on the research, gained more than two percent in online trading ahead of the opening of US markets.&nbsp;

US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer is planning to file for emergency use authorisation for its Covid-19 vaccine in late November -- two weeks after the November 3 US presidential election.

US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer is planning to file for emergency use authorisation for its Covid-19 vaccine in late November -- two weeks after the November 3 US presidential election. The company said it hopes to move ahead with the vaccine after safety data is available in the third week of November, immediately lifting the company's shares two percent in the US. "So let me be clear, assuming positive data, Pfizer will apply for Emergency Authorization Use in the US soon after the safety milestone is achieved in the third week of November," the company's chairman and CEO Albert Bourla said in an open letter. The announcement means the United States could have two vaccines ready by the end of the year, with Massachussetts biotech firm Moderna aiming for November 25 to seek authorization. The United States' Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asked vaccine developers last week to spend two months monitoring for serious side effects after the second dose is given to trial participants. The FDA will require the vaccine to prove effective and safe, while Pfizer will have to demonstrate it is capable of producing large scale production. Pfizer and Modern, both funded by the US government, launched Phase 3 of their clinical trials at the end of July, and both have started production of doses. They aim to be in a position to deliver tens of millions of doses to the US by the end of the year. Bourla said the Pfizer trial, involving 30,000 participants, might produce results on the vaccine's efficacy within the next two weeks. Pfizer, which is partnering with German company BioNTech on the research, gained more than two percent in online trading ahead of the opening of US markets.

Pfizer plans to seek authorisation for Covid vaccine in November

US corporation Pfizer&nbsp;said today that it would be conducting coronavirus vaccine trial which&nbsp;will include adolescents as young as 12.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-bank-approves-12-billion-for-covid-19-vaccines-335125">Also Read:&nbsp;World Bank approves $12 billion for COVID-19 vaccines</a>

Pfizer's Rod MacKenzie in a tweet said that the move has been approved by the US Food and Drug Association(FDA). "As always, we are following a careful, stepwise approach as we move to younger age groups," he added.

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Approved by <a href="https://twitter.com/US_FDA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@US_FDA</a>, our <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> vaccine protocol will soon enable us to include adolescents as young as 12. As always, we are following a careful, stepwise approach as we move to younger age groups. More information is available on <a href="https://twitter.com/pfizer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Pfizer</a>’s website. <a href="https://t.co/4LabQiT74H">https://t.co/4LabQiT74H</a>
— Rod MacKenzie (@TimeIsLifeRod) <a href="https://twitter.com/TimeIsLifeRod/status/1315766156096147459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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FDA had earlier granted permission to Fizer and BioNTech. According to Pfizer, it has 120 clinical trial sites in four countries including 39 US states. It has enrolled over 37,000 participants have enrolled in phase 2 and 3 clinical trial.

Pfizer&nbsp;says over 31,000 participants have received their second vaccination. Meanwhile, US pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly has suspended its Phase 3 trial of antibody treatment, a day after Johnson and Johnson temporarily paused.

Lilly and Regeneron had earlier applied to US FDA for emergency use authorization. Lilly hasn't specified detailed the safety concern which led it to tempraritly pause its trail.

British firm AstraZeneca had earlier halted its trials after a particiapant was dected with inflammatory condition, the company however later resumed the trials.

US corporation Pfizer said today that it would be conducting coronavirus vaccine trial which will include adolescents as young as 12. Also Read: World Bank approves $12 billion for COVID-19 vaccines Pfizer's Rod MacKenzie in a tweet said that the move has been approved by the US Food and Drug Association(FDA).

US corporation Pfizer said today that it would be conducting coronavirus vaccine trial which will include adolescents as young as 12. Also Read: World Bank approves $12 billion for COVID-19 vaccines Pfizer's Rod MacKenzie in a tweet said that the move has been approved by the US Food and Drug Association(FDA). "As always, we are following a careful, stepwise approach as we move to younger age groups," he added. Approved by @US_FDA, our #COVID19 vaccine protocol will soon enable us to include adolescents as young as 12. As always, we are following a careful, stepwise approach as we move to younger age groups. More information is available on @Pfizer’s website. https://t.co/4LabQiT74H — Rod MacKenzie (@TimeIsLifeRod) October 12, 2020 × FDA had earlier granted permission to Fizer and BioNTech. According to Pfizer, it has 120 clinical trial sites in four countries including 39 US states. It has enrolled over 37,000 participants have enrolled in phase 2 and 3 clinical trial. Pfizer says over 31,000 participants have received their second vaccination. Meanwhile, US pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly has suspended its Phase 3 trial of antibody treatment, a day after Johnson and Johnson temporarily paused. Lilly and Regeneron had earlier applied to US FDA for emergency use authorization. Lilly hasn't specified detailed the safety concern which led it to tempraritly pause its trail. British firm AstraZeneca had earlier halted its trials after a particiapant was dected with inflammatory condition, the company however later resumed the trials.

Pfizer to start coronavirus vaccine tests on children as young as 12

US&nbsp;drugmaker&nbsp;Pfizer's chief&nbsp;Albert&nbsp;Bourla on Sunday said it is ''likely'' the coronavirus vaccine will be deployed to all&nbsp;Americans by the end of this year.

Pfizer and its partner BioNTech hope to wrap up final-stage Phase III trials of their Covid-19 vaccine candidate as early as next month.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/after-russia-these-covid-19-vaccines-set-to-unveil-soon-319760">After Russia, these COVID-19 vaccines set to unveil soon!</a>

The United States has signed&nbsp;a $1.95 billion agreement with US pharma giant Pfizer and Germany's BioNTech for 100 million doses of their experimental COVID-19 vaccine, part of an aggressive push to start immunizing Americans early next year.

It is the biggest deal to date under Operation Warp Speed, intended to accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of coronavirus vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.

The comments came after it was revealed that Washington has urged US states to get ready for a potential Covid-19 vaccine rollout by November 1, sparking concerns President Donald Trump's administration is rushing to begin distributing a vaccine before the November 3 elections.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/is-trump-pressurising-fda-to-issue-a-coronavirus-vaccine-before-completing-trials-324226">Is Trump pressurising FDA to issue a coronavirus vaccine before completing trials?</a>

Pfizer has enrolled 23,000 patients in vaccine tests as of Wednesday (September 2), its Chief Executive&nbsp;Albert&nbsp;Bourla&nbsp;said in an online briefing sponsored by drug industry group International Federation of Pharmaceuticals Manufacturers and&nbsp;Association.

Bourla&nbsp;also said that political pressure would not interfere in the company's approval of the vaccine.

"We will never ourselves submit for authorisation or approval any vaccine before we feel that it is safe and effective," he explained.

Pfizer has already manufactured hundreds of thousands of doses of the vaccine candidate, including at a plant in Belgium,&nbsp;Bourla&nbsp;said. The US&nbsp;drugmaker is in the race to come up with a vaccine with its partner, Germany's BioNTech.

Across the world, governments are hoping to announce a vaccine as soon as possible and roll out treatments for the novel coronavirus, which has killed more than 860,000 people and infected over 26 million.

But the sense of urgency has raised fears that companies and regulators might rush though testing meant to ensure that vaccines or treatments can be used safely and will actually be effective against the disease.

US drugmaker Pfizer's chief Albert Bourla on Sunday said it is ''likely'' the coronavirus vaccine will be deployed to all Americans by the end of this year. Pfizer and its partner BioNTech hope to wrap up final-stage Phase III trials of their Covid-19 vaccine candidate as early as next month.

US drugmaker Pfizer's chief Albert Bourla on Sunday said it is ''likely'' the coronavirus vaccine will be deployed to all Americans by the end of this year. Pfizer and its partner BioNTech hope to wrap up final-stage Phase III trials of their Covid-19 vaccine candidate as early as next month. Also see: After Russia, these COVID-19 vaccines set to unveil soon! The United States has signed a $1.95 billion agreement with US pharma giant Pfizer and Germany's BioNTech for 100 million doses of their experimental COVID-19 vaccine, part of an aggressive push to start immunizing Americans early next year. It is the biggest deal to date under Operation Warp Speed, intended to accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of coronavirus vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. The comments came after it was revealed that Washington has urged US states to get ready for a potential Covid-19 vaccine rollout by November 1, sparking concerns President Donald Trump's administration is rushing to begin distributing a vaccine before the November 3 elections. Also read: Is Trump pressurising FDA to issue a coronavirus vaccine before completing trials? Pfizer has enrolled 23,000 patients in vaccine tests as of Wednesday (September 2), its Chief Executive Albert Bourla said in an online briefing sponsored by drug industry group International Federation of Pharmaceuticals Manufacturers and Association. Bourla also said that political pressure would not interfere in the company's approval of the vaccine. "We will never ourselves submit for authorisation or approval any vaccine before we feel that it is safe and effective," he explained. Pfizer has already manufactured hundreds of thousands of doses of the vaccine candidate, including at a plant in Belgium, Bourla said. The US drugmaker is in the race to come up with a vaccine with its partner, Germany's BioNTech. Across the world, governments are hoping to announce a vaccine as soon as possible and roll out treatments for the novel coronavirus, which has killed more than 860,000 people and infected over 26 million. But the sense of urgency has raised fears that companies and regulators might rush though testing meant to ensure that vaccines or treatments can be used safely and will actually be effective against the disease.

Americans can get COVID-19 vaccine before year-end, says Pfizer CEO

After Russia, these COVID-19 vaccines set to unveil soon!

US drugmaker Pfizer Inc said on Wednesday it was shutting down two manufacturing plants in India that make generic injectables like penicillin in response to falling demand.

The company employs around 1,700 workers at the two factories in the states of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra - nearly 6 per cent of Pfizer's global manufacturing workforce.

"Pfizer has conducted a thorough evaluation of the ... sites in India and concluded that due to the very significant long term loss of product demand, manufacturing at these sites is not viable," the company said in an emailed statement.

Pfizer acquired the sites as part of its $15 billion purchase of Hospira Inc in 2015, to boost its portfolio of generic injectable drugs and copies of biotech medicines.

The company is also closing a Hospira research and development lab in Taramani, Chennai, but spokesman Steven Danehy said that was unrelated to the shutdown of the two plants.

The roughly 150 employees at that facility were informed of that shut down in the fourth quarter, he said.

The plant in Chennai makes generic injectable cephalosporin, penems and penicillin. The Maharashtra plant supplied the Chennai unit with certain products.

Both plants do not manufacture products for the India market, Pfizer said, adding that it is expanding operations in its Visakhapatnam facility in south India.

US drugmaker Pfizer Inc said on Wednesday it was shutting down two manufacturing plants in India that make generic injectables like penicillin in response to falling demand.

US drugmaker Pfizer Inc said on Wednesday it was shutting down two manufacturing plants in India that make generic injectables like penicillin in response to falling demand. The company employs around 1,700 workers at the two factories in the states of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra - nearly 6 per cent of Pfizer's global manufacturing workforce. "Pfizer has conducted a thorough evaluation of the ... sites in India and concluded that due to the very significant long term loss of product demand, manufacturing at these sites is not viable," the company said in an emailed statement. Pfizer acquired the sites as part of its $15 billion purchase of Hospira Inc in 2015, to boost its portfolio of generic injectable drugs and copies of biotech medicines. The company is also closing a Hospira research and development lab in Taramani, Chennai, but spokesman Steven Danehy said that was unrelated to the shutdown of the two plants. The roughly 150 employees at that facility were informed of that shut down in the fourth quarter, he said. The plant in Chennai makes generic injectable cephalosporin, penems and penicillin. The Maharashtra plant supplied the Chennai unit with certain products. Both plants do not manufacture products for the India market, Pfizer said, adding that it is expanding operations in its Visakhapatnam facility in south India.

Pfizer to shut two manufacturing plants in India

US drugmaker Pfizer Inc said on Monday it had decided not to separate into two publicly traded companies by separating its low-growth generics from its patent-protected branded medicines. 
 
Instead, with the two operating as separate businesses within Pfizer, the company was already accessing many of the potential benefits of a split while retaining the operational strength, efficiency and financial flexibility of operating as a single company, chief executive Ian Read said. 
 
&quot;Over time, any potential gap between Pfizer&#39;s market valuation and an implied Sum of the Parts (SOTP) market valuation has closed,&quot; said chief financial officer Frank D&#39;Amelio. 
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<h5>The company has for several years weighed whether a split made sense, largely because its patent-protected medicines routinely enjoy sales growth, while its portfolio of generics usually posted sales declines.</h5>
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&quot;We concluded that splitting into two companies at this time would not enhance the cash flow generation and competitive positioning of the businesses and the operational disruption, increased costs of a split and inability to realize any incremental tax efficiencies would likely be value destructive.&quot; 
 
Pfizer&#39;s shares were down 1.3 per cent in premarket trading on Monday. 
 
The company has for several years weighed whether a split made sense, largely because its patent-protected medicines routinely enjoy sales growth, while its portfolio of generics usually posted sales declines. 
 
Investors shifted their focus to whether Pfizer would split after the company terminated a $160 billion deal to acquire Irish drugmaker Allergan Plc in April due to new US tax inversion rules. 
 
Pfizer said on Monday the decision to not split itself would not impact its 2016 forecast, and that it preserved the option to split in the future. 
 
Pfizer in August announced it had agreed to buy cancer drugmaker Medivation Inc for $14 billion to gain access to blockbuster prostate cancer drug Xtandi for its growing oncology roster. 
 
The Medivation deal illustrates a shift in Pfizer&#39;s M&amp;A strategy from lowering taxes, the rationale behind the failed Allergan tax inversion deal, to strengthening its lineup of branded drugs, especially lucrative cancer treatments. 
 
A year ago, Pfizer paid $15 billion for Hospira, which sells generic hospital products and is developing biosimilars meant to compete with big-selling injectable biotech drugs. That deal was seen by Wall Street as a way of bolstering its generic drugs ahead of potentially divesting the business. 
 
(Reuters)

The drugmaker has decided not to separate its low-growth generics from its patent-protected branded medicines

US drugmaker Pfizer Inc said on Monday it had decided not to separate into two publicly traded companies by separating its low-growth generics from its patent-protected branded medicines. Instead, with the two operating as separate businesses within Pfizer, the company was already accessing many of the potential benefits of a split while retaining the operational strength, efficiency and financial flexibility of operating as a single company, chief executive Ian Read said. "Over time, any potential gap between Pfizer's market valuation and an implied Sum of the Parts (SOTP) market valuation has closed," said chief financial officer Frank D'Amelio. The company has for several years weighed whether a split made sense, largely because its patent-protected medicines routinely enjoy sales growth, while its portfolio of generics usually posted sales declines. "We concluded that splitting into two companies at this time would not enhance the cash flow generation and competitive positioning of the businesses and the operational disruption, increased costs of a split and inability to realize any incremental tax efficiencies would likely be value destructive." Pfizer's shares were down 1.3 per cent in premarket trading on Monday. The company has for several years weighed whether a split made sense, largely because its patent-protected medicines routinely enjoy sales growth, while its portfolio of generics usually posted sales declines. Investors shifted their focus to whether Pfizer would split after the company terminated a $160 billion deal to acquire Irish drugmaker Allergan Plc in April due to new US tax inversion rules. Pfizer said on Monday the decision to not split itself would not impact its 2016 forecast, and that it preserved the option to split in the future. Pfizer in August announced it had agreed to buy cancer drugmaker Medivation Inc for $14 billion to gain access to blockbuster prostate cancer drug Xtandi for its growing oncology roster. The Medivation deal illustrates a shift in Pfizer's M&A strategy from lowering taxes, the rationale behind the failed Allergan tax inversion deal, to strengthening its lineup of branded drugs, especially lucrative cancer treatments. A year ago, Pfizer paid $15 billion for Hospira, which sells generic hospital products and is developing biosimilars meant to compete with big-selling injectable biotech drugs. That deal was seen by Wall Street as a way of bolstering its generic drugs ahead of potentially divesting the business. (Reuters)

Pfizer decides not to split into two

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer plans to introduce more drugs from its global portfolio in India, including injectables from the stable of Hospira which it had acquired last year. 
 
Although the company sells most of its top 20 global products in India, it is looking to bring in a couple of drugs, the patents of which have expired, to the domestic market. 
 
&quot;Except for a couple of CNS (central nervous system) products and one pain product, we are not really missing a major portfolio. We are looking at couple of global products, though they have gone all off LOE (loss of exclusivity) to reintroduce them into India, we are also looking at that aspect of this juncture,&quot; Pfizer India Managing Director S Sridhar told analysts. 
 
Out of all the top 20 global big products that Pfizer has, other than Lipitor and another two or three very small products, the company has all the portfolio in India, either in the name as such or in the local name, he said. 
 
&quot;So for example, I have got Lyrica which is a global product out here...Prevenar which is a global product out here. I have got Magnex, I have got Dolonex, these are Indian names of Pfizer&#39;s products,&quot; Sridhar added. 
 
When asked about the company&#39;s plans to introduce products from Hospira, he said: &quot;Hospira transaction is the opportunity for us to launch some sterile injectable in India. So that is also probably we are working on.&nbsp;So it would not be a branded product, it would be a branded generic because Hospira is a generic company with branded generic but in the area of injectables, he said adding &quot;so we are looking at those options also&quot;. 
 
Last year, Pfizer had acquired Hospira in a USD $17 billion deal. At the time of acquisition, Pfizer had stated that it would have an expanded portfolio of sterile injectable pharmaceuticals, composed of Hospira&#39;s broad generic sterile injectables product line and it would create a leading global sterile injectables business. 
 
The acquisition would also help in building a broad portfolio of biosimilars in Pfizer&#39;s therapeutic areas of strength through the addition of Hospira&#39;s portfolio that includes several marketed biosimilars. 
 
(PTI)

The company sells most of its top 20 global products in India

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer plans to introduce more drugs from its global portfolio in India, including injectables from the stable of Hospira which it had acquired last year. Although the company sells most of its top 20 global products in India, it is looking to bring in a couple of drugs, the patents of which have expired, to the domestic market. "Except for a couple of CNS (central nervous system) products and one pain product, we are not really missing a major portfolio. We are looking at couple of global products, though they have gone all off LOE (loss of exclusivity) to reintroduce them into India, we are also looking at that aspect of this juncture," Pfizer India Managing Director S Sridhar told analysts. Out of all the top 20 global big products that Pfizer has, other than Lipitor and another two or three very small products, the company has all the portfolio in India, either in the name as such or in the local name, he said. "So for example, I have got Lyrica which is a global product out here...Prevenar which is a global product out here. I have got Magnex, I have got Dolonex, these are Indian names of Pfizer's products," Sridhar added. When asked about the company's plans to introduce products from Hospira, he said: "Hospira transaction is the opportunity for us to launch some sterile injectable in India. So that is also probably we are working on. So it would not be a branded product, it would be a branded generic because Hospira is a generic company with branded generic but in the area of injectables, he said adding "so we are looking at those options also". Last year, Pfizer had acquired Hospira in a USD $17 billion deal. At the time of acquisition, Pfizer had stated that it would have an expanded portfolio of sterile injectable pharmaceuticals, composed of Hospira's broad generic sterile injectables product line and it would create a leading global sterile injectables business. The acquisition would also help in building a broad portfolio of biosimilars in Pfizer's therapeutic areas of strength through the addition of Hospira's portfolio that includes several marketed biosimilars. (PTI)

Pfizer plans to bring more global drugs to India

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