US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer expects to file for emergency use authorization for its Covid-19 vaccine in late November, around 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.
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 Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which authorizes pharmaceuticals for distribution in the US – 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.
