Financial Times: Pfizer urges patience in ‘last mile’ of Covid-19 vaccine process
“Pfizer’s chief executive has urged patience in the ‘last mile’ of Covid-19 vaccine development, after the timeline for an early look at whether a late-stage trial shows its vaccine works was poised to slip into November. Albert Bourla said on Tuesday that he was still ‘cautiously optimistic’ about the vaccine, which could be the first submitted for U.S. emergency approval. … But the trial — which has enrolled over 42,000 participants, with 36,000 having received their second dose — has not yet hit the threshold at which it is allowed to do an initial analysis on whether the vaccine works…” (Kuchler, 10/27).

POLITICO: Historic vaccine race meets harsh reality
“Pfizer’s admission Tuesday that it still doesn’t know whether its coronavirus vaccine works is a dose of reality for the historic global vaccine race. The company’s failure to meet its self-imposed goal — having proof of efficacy in October — is the latest reminder that vaccine development is a long, complicated process that doesn’t stick to political deadlines. Despite the government and drug companies pumping billions of dollars into the vaccine race, getting shots into trials faster than ever before, and enrolling tens of thousands of volunteers in studies, a Covid-19 vaccine could still be months away…” (Owermohle, 10/27).

Additional coverage of Pfizer’s announcement is available from New York Times, Reuters, and STAT.